Life After The Battle
by Chaser89
Summary: Who new that figuring out life would be so difficult, and I thought the hard part was over. Hermoine's POV.    Yes another after the battle, before the epilogue story, I know its been done a million times...so whats one more.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The only Harry Potter things I own are books and DVD's.

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

In the last 48 hours I have, become the cracked bitch who tortured me, broken into Gringotts, escaped on the back of a flying dragon, then escaped death eaters in Hogsmead, found a way into Hogwarts, fought in an epic battle against raging lunatics, and somehow, thank Merlin, won said battle.

I want food and sleep.

The revolving staircase that Harry, Ron and I were taking down from the Headmast… I guess its now the Headmistresses office just came to a stop when all of a sudden we were bombarded with flashing lights and noise. My eyes could not adjust to the flashes, my ears could not comprehend what all these people were yelling and I didn't even realize someone had made their way through the crowd to grab my arm until I felt the familiar, though unpleasant feeling of apperation.

As soon as I felt that my feet were on solid ground I had my wand drawn and pressed against the throat of my abductor. I heard two faint pops close by and risked a glance to the right and noticed Harry and Ron were in the exact same predicament as me. Except they were pointing their wands at Mr. Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt, then turning back I realized I had my wand to the throat of Professor McGonagall.

"What did I do when you told me I was a witch?" I demanded.

"You fainted", McGonagall calmly answered and I lowered my wand.

The boys had obviously determined that Mr. Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt were in fact Mr. Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt because they too had lowered their wands. It was then I realized where we were, The Burrow.

"I'm impressed with your ability to defend yourselves even though you all look as though you are about to fall a sleep on you feet" Commented Kingsley as we headed into the kitchen.

"Nine months on the run probably has something to do with that", Ron muttered.

Before anybody could elaborate on Ron's comment there were a number of pops just outside the door. In the blink of an eye we all had our wands pointed at said door.

"Who is it?" called Mr Weasley

"Dad it's me… and Fluer, Ginny, Charlie and Percy." Bill called out.

Aurther went to open the door, but Ron got in his way and put a hand on the door keeping it closed. "Bill, when we came to you, what did you tell me, when I told you what I was afraid of?"

"That you will never let that happen" Ron's lips curved into a small smile as he opened the door for his family.

Mr Weasley, Kingsley and Professor McGonagall were looking at Ron with perplexed expressions on their faces. I joined their baffeled stares as all of a sudden he was kneeling down in front of me, lifting the leg of my jeans and removing the beaded bag from my sock, standing up and placing it in my hands.

I was frozen, just staring up at him in complete and utter shock, until I seen his lips moving, which meant he must be saying something, snapping out of my little trance I caught the last bit of what he was saying "… you can use the bathroom first." I nodded, not saying a thing and headed up to the bathroom staring at the floor making sure no one could be the blush that was sure to rival the Weasley's on my face.

It felt like years since I had had a decent shower, it felt amazing despite the stinging sensation as water flowed over my many cuts and grazes. I took my time, washing my hair, shaving my legs and letting the warm water slowly relax my tense muscles. It must have been close to half an hour before I even contemplated getting out from beneath the warm water.

I didn't need to look in the mirror to know how many wounds I had, I could feel them, the pain had well and truly set in as the adrenaline I previously felt was vanishing with every passing moment. Pulling on my clothes I headed out the door and bumped straight into Fluer.

"Et me look at dose wounds" she insisted

"No really I'm fine I just want to rest"

Not giving me an option, I swear she was turning into a French, blond version of Mrs Weasley, she dragged me into Ginny's room and made me sit on the bed. In silence she worked on the many cuts, bruises and burns that covered my arms, legs and face. It suddenly occurred to me why Fluer was waiting for me outside the bathroom, she knew I would need attending to (dare I admit it) and as she had seen me in my most vulnerable state and had treated my wounds from Malfoy Manor, she was saving me the from having to explain my scars to somebody else.

"Thank you" I whispered so quietly that I'm not sure if she actually heard me.

"Zat is Ok" she replied, in understanding as she worked on my arm with the word _"MUDBLOOD"_ carved into it.

"Zet me ook at your back"

Reluctantly I removed my t-shirt so that she could look that the rest of my body and heard the gasp. "My goodness, what iz it dat appened to you back"

"Yaxley… Look, really I'm ok, don't the others need attending to…. Sorry I mumbled when I realized how ungrateful I sounded.

Fluer finished healing my back, got up, walked around the bad to face me, gave me a hug, and said "All done, now get some rest" and closed the door behind her back.

That was strange but no arguments from me I thought as I put my t-shirt back on, feeling no pain what so ever, Fluer had done an amazing job. I guess she wasn't so bad after all. I mean you can tell she really loves Bill. She took care of us at Shell Cottage, feeding and cleaning up us. She helped me just now, and not just by healing my wounds but sparing me the hurt of explaining to others about my older scars. And Ron doesn't act like a total love, sick fool when she walks into the room anymore.

Ron. Why do I always think of him? What I was thinking about had nothing what so ever to do with him, yet somehow he just sneaks on in. Now I am thinking of him damn it…. How he must totally think I'm a lunatic, what the hell was I thinking, I have totally ruined everything, as he will probably never look at me again let along speak to me. I cannot believe I KISSED HIM! Holy crap! Then to add insult to injury I totally over reacted by basically ignoring him and bolting of out of the room when he took the beaded bag from my ankle and said I could use the bathroom first. He was just being polite. I flopped back down in bed exhausted and before I new it I was falling a sleep with thoughts of Fluer, Malfoy Manor, the battle and Ron all floating around in my head.

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><p>This is my first ever attempt at a Fan Fic, so please review, advice very much appreciated.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The only Harry Potter things I own are books and DVD's.

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO! _(Page 377 Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows)_

I threw myself into a sitting position on a scream, _just a dream, just a dream, its not happening again _I kept saying to myself. But if it was just a dream and I'm awake, why could I still feel pain? I hadn't realized I was crying until I felt a tear fall from my face and land on my arm, I was also violently shaking but no matter how hard I tried to stop, I couldn't. It was then that I felt a soft hand on my shoulder; I looked up into the eyes of Mrs. Weasley.

"Your ok dear, your at The Burrow" All I could do was nod in her direction.

"Hermione it was just a dream, no one is hurting you." I heard Ginny say, she was right beside me on the bed.

Then I looked around and noticed that the room was full of people, all of whom had confused and concerned expressions on their tired faces. Other than Mrs. Weasley and Ginny there was also Mr. Weasley, Bill, Fluer, Charlie, Percy. Harry and Ron were also in the room and though their expressions were concerned they were not confused.

I tried to speak but nothing was coming out, my mouth was just opening and closing like a goddamn goldfish. I could feel the lump rising in my throat, I felt like I was going to choke and I new that if everyone kept looking at me like I was some kind of small, hurt, weak animal I was going to burst into full on hysterical sobs. I had to get out of there, nothing could be more embarrassing than completely falling apart in front of basically the entire Weasley family.

In silence I got to my feet and headed for the door. I could vaguely hear everyone's voices but the buzzing in my ears was drowning out what they were saying. The entire room was spinning around me, the pain I had previously been feeling was fading and being replaced with nausea. Before I could stop myself I was emptying my stomach in the doorway.

I stand corrected; there is something more embarrassing.

In an instant someone was holding my hair, while someone else unknown was holding me up so I didn't fall face first into my own vomit. Once I stopped they ushered me into the bathroom. "mm fine" I mumbled before I slumped down onto the floor.

"No, your not" said a very familiar voice.

I looked up to see Harry and Ron. It was Harry and Ron, thank god. I new I wasn't going to have to explain and I new they wouldn't try and make it seem better then it was. I allowed myself to cry, full on hysterical sobs. Ron sunk to the floor immediately and put his arm around me while harry went to the sink and grabbed some wet towels and a glass of water. He then slumped to the ground, held them till I was capable of using them. After what felt like years I began to pull myself together

"S-Sorry"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, it's probably done you some good finally getting that out, you've been so strong" Ron said

Did that sentence just come from Ronald Weasley's mouth? I must still be dreaming.

All of a sudden Harry exploded. "It's all my fault!

Nope not dreaming. "Harry don't be ridicul"

"No Hermione! It's the truth. If I hadn't of said his name then we would never have been caught and she would have never of hurt you." Harry stopped yelling, he had tears in his eyes but refused to let them fall. "She nearly killed you… and she did kill Dobby."

"You're right it wouldn't have happened, but if we didn't end up there we may never have defeated him." Both boys were looking at me puzzled, "If we didn't end up there we would never had known to go to Gringotts." I continued.

"It wasn't worth it. You, going though that was NOT WORTH IT!" Harry screamed as he put his fist through the wall. He turned around and faced us and I could see that the tears he had been holding back and escaped.

"Come here Harry." I reached my hand out and pulled him back to the floor with Ron and I.

This time it was Ron who spoke, "It's all gonna be ok guys… It has to be; we worked so damn hard to win. Not just us… B-but everyone. Ron said, as he pulled a small photo from his pocket, a photo of his family, he looked down at the brother he would never see again and also let his tears fall.

So there we were, the hero's of the magical world, huddled together on a bathroom floor crying.

Eventually we pulled ourselves together and got up of the floor, we didn't have to speak, we were beyond that, our unspoken glances communicated that we were sorry and that we were there for each other, we always would be.

Harry gave me one last squeeze and placed a chaste kiss on my forehead before he left the room, leaving Ron and I alone. This was the first time Ron and I had been alone and not fighting for our lives since _"IT"_ happened. I was beginning to panic,however Ron seemed oblivious to this as he moved around the room gathering who knows what.

"You took care of us all year, bout time someone did something for you." Ron was mumbling and handing me a damp towel and a fresh glass of water, he had turned a brighter shade of red than his hair.

I drank the water and started to dab my face with the cool towel.

"Thank you"

"Here you go this will probably make you feel better too." Ron said as he handed me a toothbrush.

"Thank you." For someone with a so-called brilliant vocab, you would think I could come up with something other than _thank you_ every time he spoke to me.

When I turned back to him after brushing my teeth, I noticed that he was sitting against the wall. I went to sit back down beside him, however he motioned for me to sit in front of him, I did this while looking down at him in confusion. Before I could comprehend what he was doing, he placed a glass of water beside me and started to gently dab the moist towel on my neck and shoulders.

"_What the hell is he doing?" _I was trying to formulate a half decent sentence, or even something other than _"Thank you"_ which I might add was very difficult as I was currently sitting in between Ron's legs, when he broke the silence.

"Do you really feel better? You still seem a little shaky"

I was still a little shaky and queasy, but I nodded telling him that I was fine.

I was really tired, thanks to a combination of the nightmare and throwing up. I was drifting off and hadn't realized that I had allowed myself to lean back against him. His voice however startled me and my eyes flew open.

"Do you wanna go back to Ginny's room? It's gotta be more comfy than sitting here on the bathroom floor." _Are you kidding? What could be more comfortable than having you as a pillow?_ I was, however spared actually giving a response when there was someone knocking on the door.

"Hermione dear…. Can I help you with anything? Would you like me to get something for you? Are you hungry? Would you like to tal"

"Mum she's fine, we'll be out in a minute" Ron interrupted his mother's questions and I gave him a look of appreciation.

"You ready?" he asked as he got up and held out his hand to help me up.

"Yer." I let Ron help me up, but he didn't let go of my hand. We stood there staring at each other for a moment before he pulled me to his chest and hugged me tightly. I had hugged Ron before… loads of times; in fact I had made it an embarrassing habit of mine to randomly launch myself at him. But this was different, _he hugged me_, as in he initiated the hug, Ronald Weasley was hugging me. I couldn't help but smile into his chest, as I returned the hug.

As we both stood there, I couldn't help but feel tiny in his embrace, he really had gotten tall in the last year, I mean he was always tall but now he was really tall, the top of my head didn't even come near his chin. He had also started to _really _fill out despite the fact that we hadn't been eating properly in months. My arms were on his back and I could feel his muscles underneath his shirt, when did they happen? Who cares, I thought as I ran my hands down his back until my fingers grazed the underside of his shirt, I grabbed onto it and…jumped away like it had burnt me. I reefed open the door to find Mrs, Weasley on the other side.

"Are you sure everything i…"

"Yes. It's fine. Thank you." I said as I dashed past her, down the landing into Ginny's room.

What was I doing? OH MY GOD! I was blushing so bad it felt like my face was on fire, here he is trying to comfort me, when he is the one who needs it, shit his bother just died, when my hands get a life of their own, I DO NOT want to even think about what I so very nearly did. I flopped down onto my bed and buried my head under the pillow "Ggrrr".

"Hermione" Ginny said.

I flipped over so fast, that I flipped right off the edge of the bed. I didn't even see her there.

"God are you ok? I didn't mean to frighten you." Ginny was quick to help me up off the floor. Under any other circumstances Ginny would usually be in hysterics laughing at something like that, who wouldn't I just flipped outta bed like a fish out of water. But here she was all concerned and wary, I really wish I had remembered to cast a silencing spell around me before I fell a sleep.

"Ginny, I didn't notice you were in here." _God I'm an idiot, IT'S HER ROOM, of course she's in here._

"I was waiting for you to come back, make sure your ok. Are you ok? You look rather red"

I nodded but Ginny was already hugging me. "You scared me."

"Sorry", I responded quietly.

"When your ready, you can tell me about it….. t-that is if you like." I don't think I had seen Ginny shy since she was about 12 years old and Harry was in the room. I pulled back and looked at her, I hadn't realized how much I missed Ginny, I mean the boys are my best friends, but talking to Ginny has always been different, for some reason I found I could talk to her about almost anything and she'd just sit and listen, let me get it of my chest.

While nodding in thanks I said, "And you can talk to me… about anything you want… if you want."

Despite everything, we were smiling at each other, however our little reunion was interrupted when there was a quiet knock on the door. "Hermione are you in there?" _Oh my god, it was Ron_. Ginny must have seen the look of horror on my face, because she looked at me with the biggest grin I had ever seen.

"Now I know why you came in here red as a tomato, something happened…. finally"

I tried to protest but she got up, dragged me to the door, opened said door and said, "Yes. Yes she is." Then pushed me out, slamming the door behind me. I could hear her laughing through the closed door.

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><p>Thanks everyone for the positive feedback. People seemed to like the small amount I wrote so I'm going to continue. Once again please review.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Once again, The only Harry Potter things I own are books and DVD's.

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

"What is she laughing at?" Ron asked as he eyed Ginny's closed door in confusion.

"No Idea." The floor could not have been more interesting right now.

"Why did you run out of the bathroom, just before?"

"Oh, umm, well… I didn't exactly run…but..." my barely audible rambling was stopped the moment I felt the tops of his fingers under my jaw.

"Look at me?" He was slowly lifting my face up so that I had no choice but to look up at him. "Hermione, please." The last part had me snapping my eyes to his. I could not recall Ron ever asking me something with such a genuine "_Please"_ in all my life. Usually when that word was used in the same sentence as my name he is asking for help with homework, some chore his mother had given him or he was hungry.

Despite him removing his hand from my jaw I continued to look up at him. I was just beginning to mentally sulk because he was no longer touching me when he placed his hands on my shoulders, and gently started to run them down my arms, stopping when he reached my shaking hands.

"I think we should talk."

"Umm ok," I squeaked.

Still holding hands we started down the landing and up the stairs to his room.

"Do you wanna sit?" he was indicating towards his bed. I moved past him and sat down in silence.

He joined me and although we had sat like this countless times before an awkward silence quickly filled the room. I wanted to break it but didn't know what to say.

After several minutes he spoke. "You kissed me."

I nearly gave myself whiplash I turned to face him so quick. He was looking down at the floor with a grin on his face; I couldn't help but stare and wonder that maybe he does feel the same. He looked up at me anxiously; obviously waiting for me to say something, I was however still mute. I looked away from him; if I didn't then he would have seen that every drop of blood in my body had gone to my face.

"Hermione"

"Mmm"

"I've never seen you blush like this."

Guess I didn't look away quick enough. Covering my face with my hands I muffled the groan that I let escape. He thought this was funny. I didn't have to look at him to see he was trying not to laugh. I could hear it in his voice.

He pulled my hands away from my face and tried to get my attention, which was currently taken to studying the Chudley Cannons poster on his wall.

"I know your not actually interested in that poster, you hate quiddich."

"I don't hate it."

"And she speaks" he laughed

The glare I gave him could have killed.

"You kissed me"

"You said that already," I grumbled

"You, Hermione Granger, Kissed me…. Ronald Weasley."

Was he trying to kill me with humiliation?

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to." I shouted.

I slapped my hand to my mouth. _Did I really just say that out loud? Oh No!_ I had just stood up to go search for the nearest cliff to throw myself off when Ron jumped up, spun me around and crashed his lips to mine.

It took a moment for me to fathom what was actually happening; however when it finally clicked (and they say I'm smart) I began to respond.

My hands were in his hair and he gripped my waist in a vise like hold. At some point early on I allowed him to deepen the kiss when I felt his tongue move along my lip. Now he was walking forward, thus backing me up against the wall roughly. As my hands left his hair and began travelling over his broad back and shoulders one of his hands had moved from my waist into a higher position just under my breast and the other was now tangled in my hair as he held my face to his. I hadn't realized my shirt had slightly risen until I felt his hand grab hold of me just above my hip. The sudden warm sensation of his hand on my bare skin had me sucking in a breath.

"Sorry." He panted as he pulled back

"Don't be." I breathed as I pulled his face back to fine.

Things were getting quite heated between the two of us real quick and without thinking I slipped my hands under his shirt and pulled it over his head. Once free of his shirt he once again claimed my lips with his.

I couldn't stop touching him. He thinks I hate quiddich… I _love_ quiddich if this is what it does to a body. His hands had found their way under my top and where running up and down my back before he pulled back and asked a silent question with his eyes, I quickly nodded giving him permission. He was halfway through pulling my shirt over my head when we heard Mrs. Weasley call out.

"Everyone tea is ready."

Ron quickly yanked my shirt back down, which resulted in me being tangled up in it.

"Crap, sor…"

"It's fine, it's fine." I said as I corrected my top just in time for Mrs. Weasley to come through the door.

"Ron, Hermione tea is ready. "

"Yer thanks Mum, we'll be down in a minute." Ron was quickly turning the famous Weasley shade of red.

Mrs. Weasley backed out of the room with a confused look on her face, "Well… don't be long."

Ron and I watched her leave and I made sure that she was long gone before I turned back to him and spoke. "Ron… W-What..."

"Just happened?" he finished my sentence for me.

"We kissed." I mumbled more to myself than to him.

"That's an understatement." He said still breathing heavily.

I slowly nodded my head in agreement.

"Does this mean that we… what I mean is…do you…" he was struggling to find the words and I couldn't help but find this attractive.

"I think so… yes…I mean… if that's w-what you want?" I didn't know what I was trying to say either.

"What I want? Of course your what I want... I thought you knew that?"

All concern regarding Ron's feelings had left my brain basically the moment he crashed his lips to mine however a massive smile was spreading its way across my face at hearing these words. I could not believe what I was hearing, I had waited to hear something along these lines come from Ron's mouth for years and it was finally happening. I didn't know what to say, so I kissed him. I just took a few quick steps and jumped up in his arms kissed him. I could feel him smiling against my lips but I pulled away when Mrs. Weasley called out again, "RON, HERMIONE, DINNER!" Ron placed me back on the ground, entwined is fingers through mine and dragged me out the door.

The happiness I had felt as Ron pulled me down the stairs to the kitchen evaporated immediately when we got to the bottom of the stairs. Everyone was serving up his or her plate with the delicious food Mrs. Weasley had prepared. Everyone but George, he wasn't even here. I looked up and noticed that Mrs. Weasley was still fussing around the kitchen while her husband tried to convince her to stop, sit and eat something. She was obviously trying to keep busy so as to not think about the absence of her sons.

Once everyone was seated the only sound you could hear was the sound of cutlery scraping plates and a couple of murmured "please's " and "thank you's" as condiments were passed around the table. This was the first time I have ever been at this table during a meal and it be silent.

"I think I'll go see if George would like anything." Mrs. Weasley said as she suddenly got up from the table with a plate of roast beef and potatoes and I swear I had seen tears running down her face as she turned away.

After dinner I volunteered to do the cleaning up, despite the volume of pots, pans and dishes it didn't take me too long. I really do love magic. I was just about to head out of the kitchen when Harry and Ron came in.

"Hi boys, what's going on?" I asked

"Come with us." Ron whispered as he took my hand and headed out the back door.

We headed out to the pond and I conjured a blanket for the three of us to sit on.

"What's this about?" I asked

"Ron's dad has been nagging me all afternoon… he wants to know where we've been, what we've been doing, how we finished him… everything." Harry answered

"I kind of understand where he is coming from… I mean… I'm his son, Harry your as good as and Hermione I know my parents feel the same about you. Of course they wanna know everything."

"I guess were gonna have to talk about it eventually, people are going to want to know." I stopped momentarily but then continued in a whisper. " I don't know about you guys but I don't think it's a good idea for the general population to know about the Horcruxes."

"You're right, we definitely don't want another Voldemort." Harry shuddered as he said this. "But I think that there are certain people that should know, like your family and Kingsley."

"I think your right Harry." I agreed

"I only want to tell the story once though… its long and it wont be easy."

"Ok, so why don't we tell my family and Kingsley the whole truth… everything. Then when the world needs to know Kingsley can cut out all the bits we don't want public?" Ron said.

"That's a brilliant idea Ron." I said as I gazed at him in awe. "Should anybody else know everything?" this was more directed at Harry.

"Well I reckon Professor McGonagall should know."

"And some of the DA members like Neville and Luna." Ron mentioned.

"Ok so it's decided, we'll tell the story to Ron's family including Fluer, Kingsley, McGonagall, Neville and Luna. We'll ask Kingsley to fish out the details that the public need to hear and pass it on." I said

"I think that will be the easiest way… No interviews… we already had to be taken away from the reporters once."

"Aw come on Harry thought you would be used to it by now." Ron said light heartedly

"I still don't like them, plus its not just me now, you guys are just as famous me." Harry was smiling while Ron and I grimaced.

"I don't think we're that famous, but I see your point… everyone knows that we were with you and had something to do with it." I admitted as we stood and returned to the house.

"Where did u lot get to?" Mr. Weasley asked as soon as we walked into the living area.

"Just getting some air dad." Ron answered.

"Umm, Harry…about what I asked you earl…"

"We'll tell you." Harry politely interrupted Mr. Weasley

"Dad we only want to tell this story once…if you could ask Kingsley and Professor McGonagall over sometime then we'll tell everyone at once." Ron told his father.

"They will both be here I the morning." The boys must have had similar expressions of confusion on their faces as me because Mr. Weasley evidently felt he had to clarify. "They both wanted to see the three of you."

"Ok well I might go write Neville and Luna tell them to come." I said as I made my way towards the stairs, the boys right behind me.

We got to Ron's room and found Ginny sitting on Harry's bed, she must have been waiting for us.

"Hi Ginny." I said as Harry sat himself down beside her and placing his arm around her waist. I'm glad they're back together.

"When the hell did this happen?" Ron demanded. I think we was trying to sound disapproving but I could see a hint of a smile on his face.

"Leave them alone Ron." I said as I went and sat on his bed.

"What? I don't like seeing my best mates put his hands all over my sister, particularly in my own room." He grumbled and sat beside me.

I couldn't help but laugh at this and Harry and Ginny joined me.

When Harry, Ginny and I recovered from laughing at Ron's obvious discomfort we all settled down into a comfortable silence. I finished writing to Neville and Luna before Pig took off with the letters and before long the four of us fell into the most peaceful sleep any of us had had in a long time.

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><p>Hi everyone, thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. Please keep it up.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I woke up in a tangled mess of limbs. It felt amazing. I kept my eyes closed and pretended to still be sleeping, though I couldn't stop the grin spreading across my face. I had not only spent the entire night in Ron's bed but I had spent the entire night in Ron's bed… with Ron. I don't actually remember falling a sleep so the fact that I did in Ron's bed was not intentional, however I certainly was not regretting this small error. His arms were currently wrapped around me holding my back flush up against his warm body, my arms were hugging his arms and our legs were loosely tangled together. My smile just wouldn't fade. I was just wondering how long it would be before Ron woke up (I was secretly hoping it would be sometime in the very distant future) when I felt him gently place a kiss on the back of my neck. The smile that I thought could not get any bigger did and nearly caused my face to explode.

"Hermione… I think your face is about to split in two."

My eyes flew open to see a wide-awake Ginny Weasley sitting cross-legged on Harry's camper bed in front of me. It took me a moment to realize that Ginny was not the only person in the room with us; the room was full of people. Bill had his arms around Fluer as he leaned against the far wall of the room, Charlie and Percy were looking down at us, smiles on their faces, Harry was sitting on his bed next to Ginny (both of whom looked quite pleased with themselves) and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were standing at the end of the bed, arms crossed over their chests with a look of wrath on their faces. Shit!

Ron and I tried to jump out of bed with lightning speed, this of course failed. Ron tripped on some foreign object on the floor causing him to hit his head on the window sill while I got tangled up in the bedding and rolled out of bed onto the floor.

"Mum, Da…"

"Mr Weasl…"

"I don't want to hear it." Mr. Weasley cut off our attempts at an explanation quite swiftly.

"We do" Charlie was in stitches.

Mrs. Weasley turned and glared at her son causing his laughter and everyone else's to instantly stop.

"We were all just heading out, weren't we?" Charlie was looking around the room at his siblings, hoping that they would follow suit. They did and began filing out of the room leaving Ron and I alone with his parents.

"We were just sleeping Mum." Ron said while I nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I know that. But you happened to be _just sleeping_ wrapped around Hermione. I hadn't realized that friends do that these days, had you Arthur?"

I kind forgot that no body other than Harry really new about any development in Ron and I's relationship.

"Ahh… No I hadn't. This is also news to me Molly." Mr. Weasley replied.

The four of us were standing in silence and it seemed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were waiting for some kind of response from either Ron or I but I just couldn't seem to find anything to say. They were right.

"Well Hermione isn't just my friend." Ron said as he grabbed my hand. "She…she is…well…"

He was now looking at me like he did when he was having trouble with a transfiguration essay. He wanted help. But this was no transfiguration essay and I for once didn't know the answer.

"Hermione is what son?" Mr. Weasley asked with a smug look on his face.

I was just as interested as his parents to hear the answer. Ron's face seemed to be turning into a tomato as the three of us stared at him in waiting.

"Well… I… umm…we… I…think…thatwearetogether." He said the last part really quick and was looking to me for confirmation.

"You think?" His mother asked, now also looking at me.

A silence filled the room briefly before I realized that Ron was waiting for me to answer.

"Y-Yes, I guess we are." I said so quietly I'm surprised anyone actually heard me.

Ron was smiling at me as if Christmas had come early and I was smiling back, our lovely little moment was however interrupted when Mrs. Weasley decided to collected us in her arms and crush us.

"I'm so happy for you two." She cried.

"I thought you were angry at us?" Ron said puzzled.

"I am. We are going to have to lay out some serious ground rules."

"Are Mum… I'm struggling to breathe here."

"Oh sorry dear." she said as she released us.

"So umm… about" Mr Weasley was cut of by Ginny calling out to him.

"DAD! KINGSLEY AND MCGONAGALL ARE HERE"

"Oh we better get down there." Mrs. Weasley exclaimed and headed out the door, her husband following close behind.

Thankful for the distraction from what was sure to be an uncomfortable conversation I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and looked over to Ron, he seemed to have the same look of relief covering his face. I'm fairly sure he went to say something but stopped when Mr. Weasley poked his head back through the doorway.

"Come on."

We both nodded and headed down the stairs after him.

After I made a quick detour into Ginny's room for a change of clothes I made my way to the kitchen to find everyone but George at the table shoveling food down their throats, I swear it must be in the Weasley gene's. Kingsley and McGonagall were also at the table though they were not eating, they seemed too immersed in the conversation they were having with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I conjured an extra seat and joined the table making sure to put at least three people between myself and where Ron was sitting. I was not really paying attention to the many conversations going on around because I was still imagining Ron's arms around me when after several minutes I was dragged out of my little daydream by a question Ginny had asked quite loudly.

"So how did everybody sleep last night?"

Oh my god, she cannot be doing this.

"I slept quite well, what about you Hermione?

Bitch!

"Fine thanks" I mumbled.

"What about you Ron?" Ginny asked as she turned to now face him. He couldn't even respond, his entire face was red and I'm not actually sure if it was due to embarrassment or anger, probably a combination. "What's wrong Ron? You look like your choking."

"Just shut it Ginny." Ron said as he looked back down at his plate.

Everyone was laughing at our obvious discomfort when someone started knocking at the back door. With everyone still tense and nervous after the last several months there was a bit of commotion as many of us jumped up raising our wands. It then dawned on me who it might me.

"It might just be Neville and Luna, remember I wrote them last night." I whispered loud enough for the room to hear.

"Who is it?" called out Mr. Weasley

"It's just us Neville and Luna… we got a letter last night inviting us over."

As relief flooded everyone in the room Ron went to open the door for the new arrivals. Conversation picked back up amongst everyone and I was grateful that the attention was no longer focused on Ron and me. I noticed that Harry was talking to Kingsley and I assume that Harry must be asking him about filtering out certain parts of the story we were going to tell. When it appeared everyone had finished eating Mrs. Weasley magically removed all the dishes from the table and stacked them in the sink, then asked everyone if they would head into the living area.

As everyone filtered out of the kitchen Harry pulled Ron and I aside and informed us that Kingsley would in fact help us on the media front by retelling the parts of the story deemed appropriate for the public. He also mentioned that he didn't think it wise for us to mention the Hallows, even to those most trusted people in the room beside us.

"It will just add to an already really long story and I don't particularly want to go there." He tried explaining himself.

"But what about the wand? The story won't really make any sense if they don't know about the wand." Ron asked.

"Voldemort didn't even know that it was one of three items. I know we'll have to explain about the elder wand but I was just thinking we don't have to mention the stone or cloak." Said Harry.

"Ok, no mention of Hallows. Plus I don't really want to explain in front of Luna how we got most of our info on the Hallows from her father, that may just lead to discussion on how he tried to get us killed." Ron said with a grimace.

"Ok, are you ready to do this?" I asked the boys as we walked into the living area.

Everyone was making themselves comfortable obviously prepared for a long story. Mr and Mrs Weasley were each sitting on an arm chair, Ginny was sitting in front of her father leaning against the chair, Bill and Fluer had enlarged a bean bag so that it would fit both of them, Charlie and Percy were conjuring large pluch cushions for themselves, Neville and Luna while Kingsley and McGonagall had transfigured some of the chairs from the kitchen so that they were now large soft couches. Silence filled the room and the three of us walked in and we looked around at the crowd, I could see out of the corner of my eye some movement from the landing above us. It was George. This was the first time he had ventured out of the room he would never share with his twin again since we arrived home and everyone seemed to be delighted by his sudden appearance. George however seem incredibly hesitant to continue down the stairs, I could see the bags under his eyes and I noticed that he was even more pale than usual causing the freckles that spread across his nose to be more prominent than usual.

"Please come down and join us George." Mrs. Weasley pleaded.

When he didn't move a muscle Charlie gave it a go, "Come on George, we saved you a spot." He said as he indicated to the spare cushions beside him.

Still no movement.

"Please George?" Ron whispered, "I really want you to hear this."

George looked down at Ron then slowly started to move down the stares. Harry clasped Ron's shoulder and gave him a kind of man hug while I beamed at him. I could tell that Ron was slightly embarrassed that it was him who managed to convince his brother to take those few extra steps and come join his family but I could also see the happiness in his piercing blue eyes.

As George sat on the floor between Charlie and Percy, Kingsley indicated to the three seater couch that everyone had left vacant for us to sit on. I sat down with the boys on either side of me and even though there was plenty of room we sat close enough to each other that our shoulders were touching.

"So umm… I guess for all this to make sense I should probably start at the beginning of our sixth year."

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><p>Hi everyone, I know you were all expecting this chapter to be about the battle but I felt it needed a little bit of a filler so some things will make more sense later on. Thank you for the reviews, next chapter should be a bit longer as that's what it seems most of you want. Please keep up with the feedback. Cheers.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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><p>"So umm… I guess for all this to make sense I should probably start at the beginning of our sixth year."<p>

Harry started the long and emotional story of how he defeated Voldemort by recounting the lessons he had with Dumbledore, getting Slughorns memory and the night he went to the cave with Dumbledore to retrieve the fake locket.

"But I don't get it, what is a Horcrux?" Ginny had asked when Harry explained Slughorns memory.

Everyone in the room had the same confused expression on their faces, all but Kingsley, he had a look of complete mortification plastered on his. I took over from Harry with the explanation because he seemed to be struggling to describe the magic.

"A Horcrux is an object that someone has concealed part of their soul inside of, by doing this that person can achieved immortality."

Everyone was staring at me with their mouths hanging wide open trying to take in what I had just told them when Kingsley spoke. "Yes but it very complex and dangerous magic, I've never actually heard of anyone successfully splitting their sole without…."

"He made seven." Harry simply stated.

"I-It's not possible."

"It is. He intentionally six and… well I'll get the seventh later." Kingsley was sitting in his chair and looking as though he might go into cardiac arrest while Harry was speaking. "Didn't you ever wonder why he looked the way he did?"

"So that's what this mission was that Dumbledore left you three? Go find and destroy seven Horcruxes?" Asked Mr Weasley

"Yes… and no. Originally we thought that it was only four that we had to get but it turned out to be five."

"I still don't get it, you just said there were seven." Asked a still baffled Ginny.

"First off we didn't realize there was seven until much later on and secondly, two had already been destroyed." When everyone stopped asking more questions Harry continued, "Dumbledore had already destroyed one, the ring that I told you about from the Gaunt house. The second I actually destroyed years ago without realizing what it was. A diary." Harry had made eye contact with Ginny as he said this last part and I could see the horror slowly spreading across her face. The whole room went silent and stayed that way for some time so I decided to break the silence and continue explaining.

"That's why you couldn't destroy it Ginny, you see there are not many ways to destroy a Horcrux."

My voice seemed to wake Harry and Ginny from their trance and spurred Harry onto keep talking. We continued by explaining what we did to prepare for the task Dumbledore had left us.

"I made my parents go to Australia"

"That was a brilliant idea, I'm glad they listen…"Kingsley began before I continued.

"I _made_ them go by altering their memories."

After a few moments of silence McGonagall spoke, "What did you alter to make them go abroad?"

"Everything."

"Everything?"

I nodded.

"I'm so lost, can someone explain?" asked Ginny.

I looked to Ron and he new I was telling him to explain for me.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger now believe that their names are Wendell and Monica Wilkins, they also believe that they have always wanted to live in Australia and they also b-believe that," Ron looked back to me for confirmation and I gave it to him in a the form of a quick nod, "they also believe that they have never had children."

"What do you mean _never had children_?" asked an obviously agitated Mrs. Weasley.

"They have no idea that I exist, let alone that I am their daughter."

"Hermi…"

"There was no other way!"

"We could have put them in hiding as we did for the Dursleys." I heard Kingsley say.

"They don't belong in this world, by doing what I did I kept them safe and happy." I had managed to keep my eyes dry but I could feel the lump building in my throat and I'm sure everyone could hear it in my voice.

"I will ensure your parents are found Hermione, we will bring them back to you and have their memories restored. I promise."

"I have to do it, it won't work if someone else trys to, I made sure."

"You really are a brilliant witch Hermione," I had heard it before but hearing it from Kingsley meant so much more, "we will bring them back and you can perform the spell."

"But how would you bring them back?"

"Why don't you come see me at the ministry tomorrow and we will discuss the details?"

"Thank you so much Kingsley."

After sorting out that little dilemma Harry continued the story by speaking about how we had been attacted in Tottenham Court Rd and everything that occurred while we were at Grimmauld Place, including Kreachers drastic attitude change. Mrs. Weasley picked up on the fact that Harry had mentioned spare clothes somewhere along the line and questioned where they come from, the boys beamed at me as they told everyone what I had done to the bag. Harry then told them all about our disastrous day at the ministry and how we only just managed to escape. I recalled how Ron had been splinched, how we couldn't for the life of us destroy the locket and ended up wearing it around our necks to keep it safe and described the spells used to keep us hidden.

Harry was just telling everyone how we had heard Ted Tonks, Dirk Creswell, Dean, Griphook and Gornuk talking about Ginny, Luna and Neville attempt to take the sword or Gryffindor and how we had realized that the sword could destroy Horcruxes when his voice started to get softer and softer and he started to mumble I realized what Harry was trying to avoid mentioning. Looking between his hands and Ron, I understood what was happening, Harry didn't know if Ron wanted everyone to know that he had left. Bill and Fluer obviously new and who was to stop them from saying something? Ron was turning red and it seemed he was not going to say anything so Harry began trying to make something up. Harry didn't get very far though before Ron interjected. "I left."

I heard many confused voices at Ron's random statement but I was too busy focusing on Ron to notice who had said what.

"We got in a fight and I left," he continued to explain. "When Harry and Hermione were talking about the sword I got angry and left them." He was looking down at the floor refusing to make eye contact with anyone when his mother got his attention.

"Ron dear, what are you talking about? What do you mean you left? What was there to be angry about? It sounds like Harry and Hermione were ecstatic." Asked Mrs. Weasley.

She was throwing a number of questions at him and it seemed he didn't know where to start. He slowly lifted his head to look at her then even slower gazed at everyone else in the room before stopping at Harry and I. "I'm so sorry. I know I've said that already but it just doesn't seem like enough." He then looked directly at me as if he had forgotten the entire room was full of people and began to speak, "I left you, I could hear you calling out to me but I still left you." I realized that this was the first time we were actually talking about this since the morning he came back and I tried to beat the shit out of him. I was trying to formulate something to say when someone brought us out of our little world.

"You left them? Where did you go?" It was Charlie

"Our place. That's why we didn't come over for Christmas." Bill said as he looked at Ron sympathetically.

"WAIT! WHAT!" Mrs Weasley was on her feet and screaming at her eldest son.

"HE WAS WITH YOU AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME. YOU DIDN'T BRING HIM HOME? YOU KEPT HIM FROM ME!" Bill was staring at he floor obviously petrified of his mother.

"Mum its not his fault, I begged him not to say anything. It would have just put you all in danger. I wasn't going to do that…especially after I had already made the biggest mistake of my life."

"Ron I…" I began but Ron cut me off.

"It was Hermione. It was the stupidest thing I've ever done. I was so mad because of that bloody locket and then you and Harry were so happy _talking_ together and I just lost it. You chose him."

"What are you talking about?"

"I asked if you would come with me and you said no. You said you were staying with _Him_." Ron said as he indicated towards Harry.

"I tried to tell you its not like tha…"

"I think I need a loo break," someone said and I heard a number of agreements and Mrs. Weasley mention that everyone must be getting hungry. Before I new it the room was empty but Harry, Ron and myself. Ron and I were breathing heavily and Harry was trying to sink into the couch.

"Ron I told you it's not like that, it never has been," Harry explained, "don't get me wrong, I love Hermione, but as a sister."

"and Harry is like a brother to me."

"That's not the point. I left the both of you, I'm the biggest prat ever."

"Yer you were." Harry stated, "But I think you made up for it. You saved me."

"I hated myself for what I did. I just want you guys to know how sorry I am."

"I missed you." I said as I laid my head on his shoulder.

Ron put his arms around me while Harry placed an arm over me and around Ron's shoulders bringing the three of us in for one hug. It wasn't an awkward silence; silence was rarely awkward between the three of us. It was like we actually communicated better without speaking.

"Are we really all good?" Asked Ron

"Yer, I think we're better then good." Harry said and I nodded against Ron's chest.

We stayed huddled together on the couch for a few more minutes before I felt Harry pull away. I looked up and seen why, everyone who had left had come back and where crowded around the doorway. Mrs. Weasley and McGonagall both had tears in their eyes, I don't think they heard anything that we had said but were just looking at us huddled up on the couch. We pulled away from each other completely and sat back on the couch normally. Everyone took this as there invitation back into the room and they began to take up their previous places.

Once everyone seemed comfortable Ron continued the story with how he had abandoned us, escaped the snatchers, stayed at Bill's and then how he made is way back to us. Harry then talked of how he had followed the doe patronus into the woods and came across the sword in the frozen lake, how he jumped into retrieve it but the Horcrux strangled him and if it weren't for Ron he would have drowned. Ron quickly described stabbing the locket and I noticed that Harry and Ron had looked at each other with knowing looks I their eyes. I'm definitely out of the loop on something.

I then took up the story telling everyone how much happier we were without the Horcrux but was quickly interrupted by Ron who thought it necessary to tell everyone how crap I had treated him. Harry had laughed at the memory and Ginny had piped up and stated that she thought he had deserved it, I agreed and continued speaking as though there had never been an interruption. I skipped the part about visiting the Lovegoods and before long I was recalling how Harry had used the tabooed name 'Voldemort'. I looked up and noticed that Harry already had tears in his eyes, I new how horrible he felt about the whole incident. I explained that I hit him with a stinging jinx so that we wasn't as recognizable and recalled how the snatchers didn't buy our story and recognized me very quickly. I was struggling to continue talking and I could feel myself shaking as the memories of Greyback touching me and what his filthy breath smelt like as he breathed down my neck came back. Ron could see I was struggling and decided that he would tell the rest for me. Surprisingly no one interrupted as Ron told everyone about us being tied up with Dean and Griphook and then being taken away to Malfoy Manor. He mentioned how Bellatrix noticed the sword and then lost her mind, I was crying, Harry was trying to discreetly wipe away the few tears that were escaping down his cheeks and Ron was trying to steady himself by taking large shaky breaths. Luna being the perceptive type realized that the three of us were having difficulty speaking and helped us out.

"I was in the cellar down stairs." She spoke which grabbed everyone's attention. "That's where they took me from the train, I was down there with Mr. Ollivander." Everyone in the room but Ron, Harry and I were looking at her like she had grown a second head.

"You were in that place that whole time?" Asked a discussed McGonagall.

"Oh yes but Mr. Dobby came and rescued us."

"I'm confused." Charlie said

"Well you see I was in the cellar with Mr. Ollivander when Harry, Ron, Dean and Griphook were locked in there with us. That's when Mr. Dobby came and saved us all."

"And Hermoine." Percy thought he was correcting Luna.

"Oh, no. Hermione was never in the cellar with us but Mr. Dobby and Ron saved her too."

"I'm still confused." It was now Ginny who spoke.

They didn't take her down with us," Harry was now on his feet, though he still had tears dripping down his face he was obviously getting angry, "Bellatrix kept her up stairs for interrogation."

"Interrogation?" asked a very concerned McGonagall, she seemed to know full well what that would have included

"It really was terrible, I'm actually surprised you're ok after that. I heard her use it on other people while I was there but whenever she used it for that long they ended up comatose." Luna stated simply as though she were speaking about Nargles or some such creature.

"Bellatrix Lestrange tortured you?" Asked a clearly distressed Neville.

"I need some air." I said as I got up and left the room. I was half way through the yard when I heard Ron calling out to me.

"Hermione. Hermione please wait?

I stopped but didn't turn around to face him, "Ron please go back and keep telling the story," I whispered, "Just finish the story so I don't have to think about it."

"Are you sure, I could stay out hear with you."

"No it's ok, really," I turned and faced him so that he could see my dry eyes, "I just want some air, ill be back inside in a few minutes."

"Ok, but if your not back inside soon I'm coming back out."

"Deal." I said as I smiled up at him.

I watched him walk all the way back into the house and as soon as the door closed I took of as fast as I could out to the pond. When I got there I fell to my knees and let sobs rack my body. I just want forget that night, there's nothing wrong with that. I swear I can actually feel a dull ache through my entire body when I let myself think back to that night. I know I'm imagining this, as it's just not possible, it's over, I'm fine and the bitch is dead. Thinking about happy things is the only way I manage to drive away the memories. The best ones are thoughts of Ron and Harry while we were school help, particularly memories of us sitting in the common room at night, me curled up in my favorite chair with a book while Ron would annihilate Harry in wizards chess or listening to them ramble on about quiddich as though it was the most important thing in the world and of course my newest memory to play over and over in my head, snogging Ron in his bedroom. My favorite memory of all.

I finally composed myself enough to perform a charm on my face to remove the redness and puffiness from around my eyes and stood up to walk back to the house. The walk back helped calm me and by the time I walked back into The Burrow I could hear Harry speaking about Aberforth saving us in Hogsmead. I must have been outside longer than I thought; I've totally skipped everything to do with Shell Cottage and breaking into Gringotts. Harry noticed me standing in the doorway and motioned for me to join them on the couch again. I sat back down and listened to the story trying to ignore the looks everyone kept throwing me when they thought I wasn't looking.

I was thankful that Harry didn't feel it necessary to recount what I did inside the room of requirement as he skipped that and went straight on to explain what happened while we searched for the lost diadem.

"That little ferret," commented an angry Neville, "trying to turn you over to Voldemort."

"Yer we'll his dumb ass side kicks ruined that," stated Ron, "decided it would be good to start sending killing curses at Hermione and me. But that was the least of our worries when Crabbe decided he would try and torch us with fiendfyre. Too bad he didn't know how to put it out, the big oaf couldn't even stop his own curse from killing him. Destroyed the diadem though."

Harry went on to explain what we seen and heard in the shrieking shack with Voldemort and Snape, Then told us what Snapes Memories were. This really was interesting as Harry hadn't fully told Ron and Myself either, however my interest soon to turned to horror and disgust when Harry told us how he found out that he must die and then therefore bravely walked to his death. There was not a dry eye in the room as Harry finished the long emotional tale by explaining that he didn't die because he didn't defend himself resulting in Voldemort killing the part of his own soul hidden within Harry. The horcrux he didn't intent to create.

Neville beamed with pride when Harry told him that he was the one to destroy the last horcrux and how the chaos that ensued the death of Voldemorts beloved snake gave Harry the perfect opportunity to make his move.

"And well, I guess you all know what happened after that." Harry lamely finished.

Everyone was sitting in awe at what he had just told them all and it took a few minutes before anyone moved. It was Ginny who was the first one to get to her feet and walk over towards us, she hugged Ron and I, then slowly turned to Harry. Ron sighed in defeat realizing that he was going to have to witness another public display of affection between his best mate and sister. He was highly mistaken. Ginny reached back her hand and swung it forward with impressive force straight into Harry face.

"What…"

Before Harry could respond Ginny had already stormed out of the room. Harry was still rubbing his cheek when Ron cracked up laughing.

"T-that w-was g-gold." Ron managed to get out.

Harry was looking at Ron baffled when Mr. Weasley stood and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, "You should probably go find her son, I have learnt over the years that if you hide from a Weasley women then you only make things worse."

Harry stood up and headed out the door mumbling something about how he would rather face Voldemort again.

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><p>Hi everyone, I know this is a HermioneRon story but I thought it would be good to add in a little of Harry and Ginny, there wont be heaps but I love Ginny too much not to put more of her in here.

Thanks everyone for the reviews, please keep them coming.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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><p>The moment we heard the back door close to indicate that Harry had ventured outside after Ginny everyone jumped up from their seats and crouched by the window to watch.<p>

"Shouldn't we give them some privacy?" asked McGonagall, she was trying not to show how interested she really was.

"Yes, yes we should," said Charlie, "doesn't mean I'm going to."

"I don't even understand why she did that, why is she angry?" asked a baffled Mrs. Weasley.

"It's probably got something to do with her boyfriend trying to kill himself." Luna stated.

"Her boyfriend?"

"Well, they did kind of break up, but…"

Luna's voice was drowned out when we all heard a very loud Ginny screaming at Harry.

"What the HELL were you thinking?"

"Ginny I…"

"Don't interrupt me!"

"You asked a quest…"

"JUST SHUT UP! I thought you cared about me?"

"I d…"

"You obviously don't, not enough to stop you from walking into that forest to _him_. I waited for you, I waited while I had no idea where you were, what you were doi…"

"I had too."

"I DON'T CARE! You went to die and you didn't even come see me. You didn't feel that I was worth saying goodbye to."

"NOT WORTH IT? NOT WORTH IT?" Harry had raised his voice even lauder than Ginny's, "DO YOU THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT, IF I HAD GONE TO YOU? YOU THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WALK AWAY. AGAIN? I DIED AND COULD HAVE STAYED WITH MY WHOLE FAMILY, MUM, DAD, SIRIUS, REMUS EVEN DUMBLEDORE BUT I CAME BACK… FOR _YOU_. I…"

Whatever Harry was about to say none of us heard. We were all looking at each other in confusion when we heard the sound of the back door open and then close. I looked around to see Ron walk back into the room.

"All right everyone, show's over, go find something else to entertain yourselves with."

"Ron, did you just cast a silencing charm around them?" I asked in bewilderment.

"I owe him one."

"Oh My God take it down I wanna hear this." Begged Charlie

"It's none of our business. Plus I don't particularly want to hear it, its too weird." With that Ron turned and walked out of the room.

Clearly disappointed everyone went their separate ways, Mr and Weasley, Kingsley and McGonagall went to the kitchen, Bill and Fluer walked outside and headed in the opposite direction of Harry and Ginny, Charlie walked over to Fred who ignored his older bother and went to his room, Charlie then moved into the kitchen with Kingsley, McGonagall and his parents, which left Neville, Luna and I in the living area.

"Well I better head of, I promised Gran I'd help her with tea and it's getting late." Said Neville

"Yes, I'd better get going also, my father will be waiting, thank you for sharing all that with me." Luna said as she skipped out the door after him.

Alone in the living room I sat on the couch and picked up The daily Prophet that was sitting on the little table beside me. It was old and had a big picture of Harry on the front and in the bottom right corner it had a small picture of me with the caption '_WANTED! Hermione Granger: Potters known accomplice._'

"Incendio," I mumbled once I had stood up and placed in the fireplace. After a moment of watching it burn I heard a noise from behind me and spun around to see who it was. "Ron, what are you doing?"

"Just seeing what you are up to."

"Oh, nothing much, just found a ridiculous article in an old paper."

"Do you wanna come up stairs with me?"

"Oh, yeah, sure."

When we reached the stairs Ron took my hand and led me up to his bedroom, closing the door behind us. This was the first time we had been alone since his parents walked in here while we were… well I don't actually know what we were doing… but his parents walked in.

Remembering that brought a blush to my face, I still can't believe what happened, I barely had any experience kissing anyone and I definitely had no experience in kissing anyone like _that_. I mean god, I was shoved up against the wall and his hands all over me, _my_ hands were all over him, I even took his shirt off, I cant believe I did that, I don't even remember thinking about it, I just did it. Shit, I nearly ended up shitless myself.

I am not that type of girl; I don't just go and get naked with someone after one kiss. Ok, so I know that I wasn't naked, but I can't help but wonder what would have happened his we weren't interrupted. I wasn't even thinking, since when do I not think, that's what I do, I'm Hermione Granger, I'm sensible and I think before I do things.

"Hermoine, Hermoine, earth to Hermione?"

"Sorry I was just _thinking_."

He was sitting on his bed so I went and joined him, letting a comfortable silence fill the room. I let myself lean back on his bed so that I was staring at the ceiling and not long after I felt Ron do the same. I was just about to grab Ron's hand when he beat me to it, entwining our fingers and letting our hands rest in between us.

"This is…different."

How the hell am I supposed to respond to that? What did he mean different? What was different? Did he mean good different, bad different, what?

"Umm… w-what do you mean d-different." I wonder where my amazing vocabulary disappears to when I'm alone with Ron.

"Everything I guess," he said as he rolled onto his side to face me, I did the same so he knew I was listening, "mainly us though."

"Us?"

"Yeah, I mean you and me." Ron said as he lifted our hands that were still linked together.

"Ron, what are we?" Did I seriously just ask that?

"Well, I sort of thought we established this morning that we are… together?"

"Together as in…." I left the sentence open waiting for him to finish it for me.

"Together as in… you are with me…. and I am with you…. together… not with anybody else."

God he is adorable when he try's to form sentences when embarrassed.

"Nobody else?"

Ron reached over and tucked away a stray piece of my horrendous hair behind my ear, "I'm not very good at sharing."

"Neither am I." It came out so quietly I'm surprised he heard it despite the close proximity between us.

When our lips touched it was different than the first two times we kissed, this time it was slow and soft and sweet. I opened my mouth when I felt his tongue gently press on my bottom lip and allowed him to deepen the kiss. We were still lying on our sides, no body contact other than our mouths and the hand still in my hair from when he tucked it behind my ear. I wanted to feel more of him but managed to control myself. He kept the kiss slow and he was gently moving his hand from the side of my face down my neck, over my shoulder, then down my side until he reached my hip. _Oh God!_ He pulled me closer to him and I fisted my hands in the front of his shirt because I didn't know what else to do with them.

I mean I new what I _wanted_ to do with them but all of those things would be _sooo _inappropriate, I mean we had kissed twice; I didn't want him to think I was some sort of desperate slag. Because I definitely wasn't.

Ok so maybe I was a little desperate but I was definitely not a slag. That would require experience in these types of situations; I have no experience what so ever. I didn't have much time to dwell on this fact because much to my disappointment, Ron pulled away and propped himself up on his forearm.

"Is this OK?" he asked shyly.

I nodded my head quickly so he new that it was more than ok.

We continued to look at each other of a brief moment before he leaned back over bringing his lips back to mine, this time a little harder and faster than before. After a few minutes of fan-fucking-tastic snogging he pulled away again and I felt like screaming, my would be scream however turned into an embarrassing moan because his lips began trailing kisses down my jaw and neck.

I rolled onto by back and pulled him on top of me, letting my hands unclench his shirt and make their way around to his back. _God I hope I'm doing this right_. He made a kind of groaning sound when our lips enthusiastically came back together. I took this to mean I must be doing something right.

His weight felt amazing, I could happily let him stay here on top of me forever. This was not going to happen though as someone thought it would be a good idea to open the door causing Ron to launch himself off of me.

I will hate this person forever.

I scrambled up into a sitting position and refused to make eye contact with who ever it was that had just so rudely interrupted the one of the best moments of my life.

"Oh My God! Harry, I think I've been blinded."

Harry and Ginny, at least its not Ron's parents, still I couldn't find the courage to lift my eyes and look at them.

"Will you two bugger off?" growled Ron

"Probably not a good idea mate, your mum will be on her way up here any second to…"

"Here's where you all got to, I was just coming to ma…" Mrs Weasley started as she moved into the room just as I jumped up off the bed and tried to tame my hair by finger combing it. "make sure everything was ok up here." She finished as she looked between Ron and I.

She was suspicious, she had that same look about her that she had before we left and was trying to stop Harry, Ron and I spending any time together. The fact that both Ron and I were currently beetroot red and couldn't look her in the eye probably wasn't doing anything in our favor.

She looked away from Ron and me and then turned to her daughter and Harry. "So what's going on here?" she asked and indicated between the two of them.

"Ahh… well…umm…Mrs. Wea…"

"Are you in a relationship with my daughter Harry?" Mrs. Weasley cut his mumbling of with the question.

"Umm, yes Mrs. Weasley."

She then turned to her only daughter, "and you didn't feel the need to inform me of this?"

"Mum, its not like we have really had a chance, it's been so busy the last few days."

"But you have had time to tell everyone else?" I could hear the hurt behind her words.

"What? No, we h…"

"These two seem to know about it," Mrs Weasley indicated towards Ron and I, "Luna and Neville seemed to know about it."

"That's because they went to school with us!." Ginny yelled obviously fed up with the interrogation.

Harry obviously decided now would be a good time to diffuse what could possible turn out to be a very intense screaming match between Ginny and her mother.

"Mrs. Weasley, I think what Ginny is trying to say, is that Ron, Hermione, Luna and Neville new because, they were at school with us when Ginny and I f-first…when we first..."

"First what Harry?"

"First got t-together."

"I see." Said Mrs. Weasley though she was still obviously still trying to wrap her head around it, "and you say that was at school?"

"Yes, last year."

"LAST YEA.."

"Yes Mum, last year. We were dating, we broke up so Harry could go save the world or some such crap, now he is back, I have finished screaming at him and using him as a punching bag so now we are back to dating."

"Ok, so now that is sorted I'm going down stairs."

"Oh no you're not," Mrs. Weasley said as she closed the door before Ron could get out if it, "we haven't finished our little conversation from this morning."

_Oh shit_.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: ** Hi everyone, I don't usually post any author notes but I feel it important that I let you all no how much I appreciate your reviews, positive and negative. I know I don't reply individually to each of you, that is laziness on my behalf and I apologies. So basically I would like to let you all know, that every time I get an email to tell me one of you has left a review, added me as a favorite author or listed this story to your story alerts I appreciate it _very_ much and I want you all to know that. I hope you all keep reading.

Chapter 7

"W-What conversation Mum? asked Ron

"Don't play dumb with me, I may be happy that the two of you," she indicated between Ron and I, "have finally figured out your feelings for each other but that does not mean that I will overlook inappropriate behavior."

"Mum w…" Ron tried but was fiercely interrupted.

"Now, I have spoken to Arthur and we do not believe that it is appropriate for our children to be living with their boyfriend or girlfriend."

"But…"

"Wher…"

Both Ginny and Ron began to protest before their mother gave them both looks that caused them to snap their mouths shut.

"However we realize that this is an unusual situation. Harry, Hermione, we recognize that you don't really have anywhere else to go, so you are welcome to stay here."

Ron and Ginny's looks of delight vanished when Mrs. Weasley continued her speech, "There will however be strict rules that I expect all four of you to abide by."

"Oh my god, Mum, please don't." said Ginny, she seemed to understand exactly where this conversation was leading.

Mrs. Weasley began speaking as if her only daughter had not said a word, "You are all hormonal teenagers and…"

"Mum, _please_ stop right now," Ron pleaded, "Other than when dad cornered me in the shed one day, I have heard it from Pomprey in third year, so have these guys.

When Mrs. Weasley nodded Ron let out a sigh of relief.

"Ok, that's good, so I'll move right on to the rules." said an obviously also relieved Mrs. Weasley, "One, if you find yourself alone with your… boyfriend or girlfriend, then you best make sure that the door remains open at all times."

I looked up to see Ron looking at me, his mother had said the two words we had been avoiding, _boyfriend_ and _girlfriend._ I know that is what we technically are and I have wanted that for… well… a long time, but it was still weird to hear it. I pulled my eyes away from Ron to find Mrs. Weasley looking around the room waiting for some kind of recognition. We all nodded our heads.

"Two, displays of affection are limited to hand holding and if you must kiss, keep your mouth closed." She had turned slightly red and I have the feeling that she is just as embarrassed as us.

"Mum, we're not 12," complained Ron.

"That's exactly why we are having this conversation Ron. You're a healthy 18 year old male and I think I know exactly what's running through your mind when it comes to Hermione."

Oh My God, I think I could die right here from embarrassment. I heard Ginny making gagging noises and then Ron tell her to shut up before Mrs. Weasley rounded on Harry and continued.

"Harry, you are also a healthy young man, can I assume that similar thoughts run through your mind in regards to my _underage_ daughter?"

Harry was having difficulty stopping his mouth from silently opening and closing like fish, before Ginny spoke up. "Jesus Christ MUM! You can't go asking people questions like that."

"Harry don't speak," Ron started, "I cannot hear the answer to that question."

Despite the extreme awkwardness of this conversation that made me let out a little laugh.

"Okay, moving on," thank god, "the four of you each have your own bed, there is no need to share," Mrs. Weasley finished as she looked between Ron and I, "Do I make myself clear?"

All four of us muttered our agreements but couldn't make eye contact with anyone.

"Ok, well then, now that that is settled I'm going to get started on dinner." Thank god she is leaving, "Oh Hermione."

_What now?_

"Yes Mrs. Weasley?"

She stopped in the doorway, but didn't turn around to face me, "You should probably do something about the marks my sons mouth has left on your neck before you come down stairs."

_PLEASE!_ Kill me now.

After dinner I volunteered to do the cleaning up, Mr. Weasley had taken a teary Mrs. Weasley up to bed and the rest of the Weasley family were aimlessly wandering around the house too lost in their own thoughts to actually do anything productive. Fred's death was obviously hitting everyone hard but it seemed that, the more time that past since that night, the more real it was becoming that Fred was never coming back. George had taken to isolating himself in his room and it was beginning to feel like Fred wasn't the only Weasley to be lost in the war, other than when he had come and joined everyone earlier today to hear what Harry had to tell everyone I hadn't seen him at all.

"You never use magic to do the washing up, I noticed that when we were away." My favorite voice came from the doorway, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"It's just a habit I guess."

"Do you mind if I ask why?"

"No, I don't mind, it's just something I prefer to do normally."

"Normally?"

"Well yeah, without magic."

"It's funny that you consider a world without magic normal, while I cant imagine a world without magic at all."

"Well, believe me its out there," I laughed, "It's really not that bad, some things may be a little slower," at his questioning look I corrected myself, "okay, a lot slower, but we have heaps of cool things that you don't have in the magical world."

"Like what?"

"Well, where do I start? There's loads, computers, phones, TV's, movie theaters, dishwashers," I said as I indicated towards the mountain of dishes that I was surrounded by, "iPod's, cars, and even simple things like pens. Come to think about it living in the magical world is kind of like living in the Stone Age."

"What do you me the Stone Age? And what the hell is a pen?"

I couldn't help but laugh, "a pen is… I guess it's kind of like a quill but the ink is built into it so you don't have to keep dipping it in an ink bottle."

"Not possible," Ron said as he shock his head, "and what's a dishwasher?"

I laughed even harder and it took me a few minutes to catch my breath so that I could answer, "It's a machine that you put all your dishes in and it washes them for you."

"I think I heard dad talking about one of these once. Hey, would you quit laughing at me, I'm trying to learn about your life here." Ron said, beginning to sound quite serious.

"Ron you know about my life."

"No, I don't," he now seemed to be a little distressed, "I know nothing about your life before I met you, I don't know what you do when you go home for holidays, I don't know who your friends are in the muggle world, I don't know what half the things are that you just mentioned and you obviously miss them all. I don't know what you might like to do in your free time other than read and I want to make you feel like this is your normal life but I don't know how.

When he finished he was breathing heavily and his beautiful blue eyes were glassy with unshed tears.

"Ron, I didn't know you felt that way, but let me make it clear, no body knows me better than you do."

"You can talk to Harry about the muggle world."

Something else is going on here.

"Ron what is really on your mind? Why are you so upset? I can talk to you about muggle things if you like."

When he didn't answer and instead looked to the floor I flicked my wand so the dishes would clean themselves, grabbed Ron's hand and took him outside. I dragged him along until we reached a tree that I remember sitting under with him, before we went to get Harry from the Dursley's.

"Ron, please tell me what's going on." I was basically begging. Something is definitely not right and I am determined to find out what it is.

I was expecting to have to do a fair amount of prying before he opened up so I was more than a little surprised to hear his voice almost straight away.

"I didn't even know my own brother." Though he spoke he didn't look up at me.

"What makes you say that?" I asked as I took his other hand.

"I was just sitting with Ginny, Harry, Charlie and Percy, they all new something about him that I didn't… even Harry."

"Ron, I'm sure you know something about him that the others don't."

"I don't think so, I never asked."

"You know, everything you said in the kitchen is making a lot more sense now." I said honestly.

"I'm a horrible brother, I never paid enough attention to him and I haven't paid enough attention to you. You know everything about me and my life but I've never asked about you about yours, just like I didn't ask Fred." He finally dragged his eyes from the ground and brought them to mine, the tears I had seen welling in the kitchen were now falling and he wasn't trying to hide them from me.

"Come here," I said as I went to sit against the tree pulling him down next to me, "do you remember sitting here with me after I… after I changed my parents memories?"

He nodded

"You sat here with me for hours that day, you told me to stop second guessing myself, that I was a good daughter for doing everything I could to protect them, you then let me cry on your shoulder. Now I'm going to do the exact same for you, I'm going to tell you right now that that you are not a _rubbish_ brother, you are a great brother and I know that you'd do anything for every single one of your brothers or Ginny."

His tears were falling harder than ever and were no longer silent, I wrapped my arms around him and he let his head fall on my shoulder letting his heart breaking sobs finally come out. I tried not to let my own tears fall knowing that Ron needed me to be the strong one, but eventually they silently escaped. I'm not sure how long we had been sitting under that tree, on the damp grass, in the dark but eventually his sobs began to ease his hands that had been tightly fisted in the back of my shirt loosened.

"I'm Sorry," he said as he pulled back slightly but didn't remove his arms from around me.

"Don't be," I replied as I removed my hands from around his back to wipe the last of his tears from his cheeks, "I'm sure you feel a little better after, yeah?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"It's going to take time Ron, you've got to grieve."

He didn't answer but instead he lay down on the grass pulling me down beside him, wrapping his arms tightly around me as I lay my head on his chest. After a several minutes I broke the comfortable silence.

"Ron, are we going to get in trouble for being out here, just us?"

"I don't care," I looked up disapprovingly at him before he continued, "Hermione, as far as I'm concerned we are not breaking any of my parents stupid rules, there is no door to close out here."

"I just don't want to make them angry."

"Don't worry about it, I don't think they'll find us, Mum and Dad went up to their room ages ago."

I nodded and settled my head back down on his chest before I heard him mumble, "Thank you, Hermione, for before."

I didn't answer but hugged him tightly; it was such a relief to be able to hug him without an excuse such as a near death experience.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, after a few more minutes of silence.

"Yes?" I murmured back.

"Do you think that Fred is happy?"

I looked up to find him looking down at me. "Yeah, I think he is."

"I m-miss him," Ron said as a lone tear slipped down the side of his face.

"Ron I'm here for you… i-if you want to talk… or just you know, whatever… like now…you know that right?"

He nodded and I placed my head back down on his chest, the sound of his heart beating was incredibly comforting.

"You know that I'm here for you too? If you need to talk or…whatever," Ron said still whispering, "and I really do want to know more about your life… the life you have with your parents.

I snuggled into his side a little more as I nodded my head on him firm chest, I could feel the lump form in my throat and new he would hear it in my voice if I spoke. I felt his lips press the top of my head and in that moment I did what I thought impossible: I fell even more in love with him.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Sorry this took a little while to post, been really busy, i'll try to keep them coming quicker.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own HP, it is all the brilliance of J.K Rowling

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

I woke up sweaty, shaking and a little nauseous. I looked over to the bed on the other side of the room but thankfully it was empty. I sat up slowly and tried to control the shudders that were ripping through my body before I stumbled out of bed, collected by toiletries and headed to the bathroom.

It didn't take long for the hot water to start calming me; once the violent shakes and nausea vanished all that was left was that ridiculous ache that took over my body whenever I allowed my mind to travel back to that night at Malfoy Manor. I continued to let the hot water fall over me while I thought back to last night, curled up with Ron, under what I now secretly consider our tree. I could have stayed there all night with him, just holding onto each other while I listened to his heartbeat as I used his chest as a pillow. I loved him. I loved him and I had very nearly told him, if I hadn't of been concentrating so hard on not crying I'm certain it would have just come bursting out. Thank god it didn't, that would have been disastrous, even though I lack any sort of relationship experience I'm fairly sure that the use of the L word could scare him off. We still hadn't even used words like boyfriend and girlfriend, let alone love.

It had been bitterly disappointing when Percy had come out and found us. Percy, being… well Percy, ushered us back inside and sent us to our _respectful_ rooms so that we wouldn't upset Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Preferring not to dwell too much on the horribly depressing end to the night I chose to focus on the feel of Ron's arms holding me close to him as we lay in the grass under the starry sky.

Feeling much better I left the bathroom, I finally got out of the shower, returned my things to Ginny's room and headed down the many flights of rickety stairs. As I neared the bottom I caught the smell of bacon and toast. When I reached the kitchen I paused in the doorway, Charlie, Bill and Ron were at the table shoveling food into their mouths, Bill and Charlie had considerably more grace than Ron when eating, but it was still fast and by the bucket load. I continued to watch Ron; he put way too much food in his mouth at once and chewed it with his mouth open before noticing me lurking in the doorway.

"Morning Hermione," Ron greeted with his mouth full of half chewed food.

I hadn't realized I had been smiling until Bill spoke, "You're looking happy this morning."

"I slept well." I lied as I sat on the opposite side of the table to Ron.

The moment I sat down, a plate of bacon, eggs and toast was placed in front of me. I looked up to thank Mrs. Weasley, who to be perfectly honest I hadn't noticed was in the room. But instead of seeing the short form of Mrs. Weasley I saw a tall, slim, blond figure smiling down at me.

"I tought vou might be ungey,"

"Yes, thank you Fluer," I said as she floated away. No one ever cooked in this kitchen other that Mrs. Weasley, many did the cleaning up, but no one ever cooked.

"Mum wasn't exactly in the right state to come down and make breakfast this morning," Bill said, obviously noticing my confusion.

I didn't know what was appropriate to say in response so I opted to stay silent and just nod. I began to eat the food in front of me and after a few minutes Bill, Charlie and Fluer left the kitchen saying their good byes.

"Where are they off to?" I asked Ron

"Hogwarts," he grumbled back, "They are going to help with the repairs."

"Oh, we sho…" I began before Ron interrupted.

"We are not allowed," at my question look he continued, "It is apparently too dangerous for You, Harry and I to go. There are still Death Eaters out there and we wouldn't be helping, we would be making the task more difficult because of all the attention we would get."

"That's ridiculous, surely we could do something."

"According to my dad and McGonagall, we have done enough."

"Does Harry know? He won't be happy."

"He knows, he is out brooding in the garden. He tried to leave but then dad put the whole, _'I consider you my son and I hope you consider this family your own'_, speech on him, which convinced him to stick to my parent's rules.

"Speaking of rules, we're breaking one right now?" I indicated to the door that had closed when the others left.

"Fuck my parents rules."

"Ron, language."

Ignoring my reprimand he continued, "How are we to help if everyone else leaves the room? We would have gone with them if we were allowed. And as for the other rules, there is no way I'm going to follow those. If you're going to let me kiss you, then I sure as hell am going to.

"If I let you?" I questioned.

"Well yeah, I mean….if .."

"Ron, you don't need to ask," I interrupted with a smile on my face.

"Well in that case," he said before leaning over the table towards me.

I met him halfway and when our lips came together the kiss was deepened almost instantly. Our lips and tongues found a rhythm that built up a feeling of need that was driving me crazy. I needed to be closer to him and as his tongue danced with mine the fact that the table was in between us was becoming quite a frustration.

I could hear something tapping on the window behind me but choosing to ignore it I continued to kiss Ron. He however pulled away leaving me feeling completely scrambled. Ron got up and walked around the table to the window and let the little brown owl in while I tried to regain some sane brain function. When Ron kissed me I literally could not think of anything other that him, all I wanted was to keep kissing him… and more. If anyone new the thoughts that ran through my head when it came to Ron Weasley they would be truly mortified. The thoughts mortified me and they were mine.

Ron sat back down beside me and handed me the letter, "It's for you, and the owl is waiting, so whoever it is must be waiting for a you to write back."

I took the envelope and then looked between it and the owl in confusion, I didn't recognize that owl, there really were only a handful of owls that ever brought me letters. One of Ron's owls Pig or Errol, Harry's beautiful owl Hedwig and then a massive brown and white owl who Victor would send on the rare occasions we exchanged letters.

_Hermione_

_I would like to assist you in finding your parents and ensuring their safe return to England. If you are interested in allowing me to help please come and see me in my office at 10:30. If you could use the flew network to arrive at the ministry that would be best, I will have someone at this end to escort you up to my office. Please let me know if that time is okay, I would really like to help you sort everything out. _

_Kingsley Shacklebolt_

_Acting Minister of Magic_

"Who's it from?" asked a clearly curious Ron.

"Kingsley, he's been made Acting Minister of Magic, he wants me to go see him today about finding my parents."

"That's great. We are going to find your parents and we finally have someone in charge who is not a total fucktard." Ron said excitedely.

"You really shouldn't use language like that Ron. Wait, did you just say _'we'_ are going to go find my parents?"

"Well yeah, I mean, only if you want me to come… I just thought…sorry I shouldn't have."

"No, that's not what I meant. I want you to come, I just didn't realize that you wanted to."

"Of course I do. I wanna be there for you." Ron said as he started to turn red.

I hated it when he said things like that; I hated it because it made me want to do things that I shouldn't be thinking about right now, I need to be focusing on my parents not thinking about snogging Ron. While trying to push inappropriate thoughts out of my mind I quickly wrote on the back of the parchment that I would be there and tied it back on to the cute little owls leg. Ron have him a treat and he flew out back out the window.

"Well we have about an hour before we have to go, what do you want to do?" asked Ron

"Umm, I don't know, where is everyone?"

"Well Dad went to the ministry, Mum is up stares, so is George, I think Percy was going to go with Bill, Charlie and Fluer to Hogwarts, Harry went outside and I think Ginny followed him. Did you want to go find them?"

"No. I think Harry would be enjoying some time with Ginny."

"It's so strange. My best mate and my sister." Ron looked like he had just sucked a lemon as the sentence left his mouth.

"You don't want to knock his teeth out anymore?" I asked grinning at him.

"No, I guess I'm kind of glad it's Harry and not someone else. Doesn't mean I want to see any of it though, I can delude myself enough to think that the most that's going to happen is a peck on the cheek."

"You wont be able to do that forever."

"Watch me." Ron said determinedly as he opened the door and stalked out of the kitchen.

I laughed as I followed him and before I new it we were in his room. He flopped down on his bed and I lent back against the small desk under the window. When Ron realized I wasn't going to join him on the bed he sat up and looked over at me with questioning eyes.

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to come over there." I explained.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to get in trouble."

"For what? The door is open and there is no rule saying we can't be on the same side of the room." He said as he stood and walked towards me.

"But every time we are on the same side of the room and alone, we break the kissing rule." I said a little breathlessly as he stood very close to me.

"We won't." He whispered in my ear before lightly placing a lingering kiss just below it.

I swallowed hard and gripped the desk behind me, "Ron, what are you doing?"

"Kissing…you…without…breaking any...rules." re replied between placing more kisses along my jaw.

He was right, technically we were not breaking any rules, the door was open, we were not in bed and his lips had stayed loosely closed with every kiss. But those simple kisses had left me weak, I was lucky I had the desk for support or I'm sure I would have collapsed.

Before I spoke I leaned up and very quickly, pecked him on the lips and then indicated to the other side of the room, "I think you should stand over there."

"Why? What did I do wrong?" he looked hurt.

"Nothing, that's why I need you to step away from me".

He spoke as he stepped away, "but if I didn't do anything wrong…"

"Because I'm extremely close to breaking the rules."

Understanding dawned on him and the smile that took over his face was one of accomplishment. We stood there, staring at each other in the eyes for several moments before Ron took out his wand, flicked it making the door close and took two large steps towards me.

I was pinned between the small desk and Ron's tall, strong frame while snogging him very enthusiastically. He had both hands on my waist while I gripped his shoulders, after a few seconds he lifted me like I was a feather and sat me on the table. Automatically I parted my legs allowing Ron to stand between them as to close the gap between us.

"RON, HERMIONE."

At the sound of Ginny's voice Ron reluctantly pulled away and I slid of the desk very disappointed. A few seconds later the door opened and a head covered with red hair slowly poked in."

"Why do you have the door closed?" asked a knowing Ginny when she fully opened the door and came in, Harry close behind.

"Why the hell do you think… to keep people out," grumbled Ron.

"Well your mum," Harry started, "is looking for you, I told her you were out in the shed, so you better get down there."

"Thanks Harry, I better go tell her that Hermione and I are going to the ministry soon anyway."

"Why you going there?" Ginny asked me when Ron walked out the door.

"My parents." Harry and Ginny nodded and without the need to continue explaining we walked out of the room to catch up with Ron.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own anything HP, I only wish I was the genius that J.K Rowling is.

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><p>Chapter 9<p>

"I'll be right behind you." Ron assured as I scooped up some flew powder from the tin he was holding out to me.

I nodded before clearly saying, "Ministry of Magic."

After passing various unknown fireplaces I landed in one of the many at the ministry. I quickly stepped out so as not get toppled over by whoever came through next. I hastily scanned the crowed around me looking for a head of ginger hair, it didn't take me long to find. Stepping out of a fireplace only a couple down from the one I had was Ron, anxiously searching for me.

"Ron I'm over here." I called and got his attention.

Just as we reached each other, I heard someone call out my name, then another voice call Ron's. In what felt like only seconds there where many people shouting our names and a surge of people closed in on us. Cameras were flashing like crazy and I could barely hear my own thoughts over the many shouts and cries coming from the crowd.

I grabbed Ron's hand and he pulled me closer to him as we tried to move through all the people. It was useless, no one would let us past, people where grabbing on to us and calling out questions.

"Miss Granger…."

"Mr Weasley…"

"Where is Harry Potter?"

"…what was your involvement…"

"Where have you been sinc…"

All the questions where blurring together and I couldn't see much of anything due to the camera flashes and close proximity of so many people.

Before I could register what was happening someone was behind me guiding me through the crowd, they had their arm around me while their other was out in front of us warding people away. I was still holding onto Ron's hand… barley, I was trying with all my might not to let go but the stranger with his arm around me was pulling me further away. When we broke free of the tight crowd I pulled away from the strange person and pulled my wand on him. It was an Auror.

"Miss Granger, my name is Javier Holmes. The minister asked me to bring you to his office."

I turned to the left and noticed another Auror standing by Ron, remembering that Kingsley had in fact told me that there was going to be someone to escort us up, I relaxed as put my wand away.

We continued to move into an elevator and the moment the doors closed Ron moved closer to me and took my hand. The aurors were standing on either side of us, the one by Ron was a tall man with light brown hair that was beginning to go grey around the edges, he stood perfectly tall and still, reminding me of one of the Queens Foot Guards. The one named Javier Holmes was also tall but considerably younger, his hair was a sandy blond colour cropped relatively short. He was handsome, very handsome, but the way he kept looking at me made me fell uncomfortable.

When we arrived on the correct level the lift door opened and as I stepped forward the younger auror placed his hand on the small of my back. A moment later Ron pulled me by my hand roughly, as I slammed into his side he let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist.

I looked up at Ron questioningly but his eyes were focused above my head at the auror, the auror took no notice of the glare Ron was throwing him and continued to walk down the hall. We reached a desk with an ancient looking witch behind it, she peered over the massive glasses that covered half her face and indicated to the open door a few meters down.

"The Minister is waiting for you."

The older auror knocked before speaking, "Minister, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley have arrived."

"Hermione, Ron its good to see you both," greeted Kingsley.

He indicated to the two chairs in front of his desk, Ron and I walked into the office and as I heard the door close behind us we took a seat.

"How are the two of you? Resting I hope, recovering from everything." Kignsley sounded genuinely concerned for us.

"Yes we have Kingsl… Minister." answered Ron

"Please call me Kingsley, our relationship is a personal one not a professional one."

We both nodded and Kingsley got right down to the point, "Hermione, if you like I could contact the Australian Minister, he would be able to locate your parents within 48 hours with the assistance of the muggle government."

"That would be great, it would save me searching an entire country looking for them. But what would happen once they are found?"

"I was thinking that once they have been located I could arrange a portkey for you. The Australian Ministry will, I'm sure, arrange for your return portkey when you are ready."

The thought of having my parents back was becoming a reality I thought I thought would never happen. As I held my happy tears back I responded weakly, "You make it sound so easy."

"I want to make this as straightforward as possible for you, you deserve some help after everything you have done."

"Thank you." I said.

"It's not a problem. Now that you have accepted my help I guess we should go over some safety details."

"Safety Details?" Ron and I questioned at the same time.

"Well yes, after the response you have received from the public," at the looks Ron and I were giving him he elaborated, "at Hogwarts after it all ended and just now down in the atrium."

"Oh right." I muttered.

"I think it would be wise for some protection and assistance travel with you Hermione, even abroad people are aware of Voldemort and how he was finally defeated. Not to mention the Death Eaters we still haven't rounded up who would love nothing more than to get a little revenge. Besides Harry, you two would be there first choice in who to capture."

"Sir I think you have misunderstood," Ron began, "You seem to think that Hermione will be travelling alone, she won't be. I'm going with her, I'm sure between the two of us we will be fine."

"I haven't misunderstood Ron, I understand that you will be travelling with Hermione. Regardless, I think it would be wise if a handful of Aurors accompanied you both."

"Kingsley, I don't think that is necessary, you are already doing so much to help and I know that those Aurors could be used to helps catch Death Eaters and rebuilding the wizarding world here." I explained.

"Please just think about it," Kingsley asked.

We left Kingsleys office about 10 minutes later, action already being taken to return my parents. The Australian minister was going to locate my parents, then Ron and I would travel by portkey to Australia and I would reverse the spell. When we were ready, we were to contact a Mr. David Cummings at the Australian ministry who would arrange our return home.

I also had to return to my childhood home and see if it was still infact my parents house. I wasn't sure if they had sold it or kept it when they left for Australia. It was the only detail I could think of that I had forgotten. Regardless of who's house it was I also had to ensure that it was intact, I have no doubt that Death Eaters had paid a little visit and the thought of some innocent muggle family being terrorized and worse on my behalf made me feel sick.

As I tried to push unpleasant thoughts from my find and focus on the positive we stepped into the small lift that would take us down to the atrium. The same two Aurors that escorted us up accompanied us again crowding the small compartment. I younger auror glanced down in the direction of Ron and I's linked hands before looking away with a scowl on his face, however before I could put much thought to it we reached the atrium and the gates to our little compartment crashed open.

We hadn't gotten two meters before people recognized us, this time though people didn't come too close as they could see Aurors flanked us. As the camera flashes started to increase I lowered my head and picked up my pace, Auror Homles had his arm around my waist again and was holding me close, it felt awkward and I could feel Ron tighten his grip on my hand and try to pull me closer to him. When Ron tugged my hand the Auror pulled the other way causing my hand to slip from Rons. We reached the fireplaces and I stepped into one, Auror Holmes reached for my hand and placed a gentle kiss to it before holding out some flew powered for me. I immediately took a handful and tossed it to the ground as I called _'The Burrow_'.

I landed in the hearth in the Weasleys living area only seconds before Ron crashed into me.

"Sorry I should have moved out of the way," I quickly appologised.

Ron held onto me to steady himself before saying, "It's okay I should have waited more that two seconds before I came after you."

"I'm going for a walk, do you wanna come?" I asked needing some fresh air to help unscramble the numerous thoughts whirling around in my head.

"Yeah sure." Ron replied as he grabbed my hand and we started for the door.

We walked out to the orchid behind the house and I plopped myself down somewhere in the center, as Ron joined me on the soft grass I laid back and looked up at the white fluffy clouds floating in the incredibly blue sky.

"I have to go h-home, I have to see if it still is home." I whispered more talking to myself than Ron

"I'll go with you, if you want." Ron said as he squeezed my hand.

I rolled over to face him and nodded in agreement. As we continued to lie on the grass I noticed that Ron looked troubled.

"What's up?" I asked him

"I'm trying really hard not to stand up and go back to the ministry to punch the lights outta that Auror."

I had forgotten completely about the Auror and his odd behavior, thinking back on it I can see how it would irritate Ron. I wouldn't exactly have been pleased if some random witch was trying to get as close to Ron as Auror Holmes was getting to me.

"Ron don't worry about that guy, we'll probably never see him again." I said trying to easy Rons mind.

"Still ticks me off, he actually pulled you away from me and you should have seen the way he looked at you. It was like he was imagining you without any clothes on or something." said Ron as he rolled over to face me, we were now both laying on our sides so as to see each other.

"I'm sure you're exaggerating on that last part, why would anyone imagine that?"

Ron looked at me with raised eyebrows, I understood the look he was giving me, he was wordless telling me I was crazy. Finally, after several moments of him eyeing me he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and rolled onto his back. I continued to look at him and noticed that his ears were turning slightly red, oh my god was he thinking about…. No way."

"So, when do you want to go to your parents house?" He casually asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, umm… soon I guess, I need to know… what's going on there." Ron had caught me by surprise with that question, I was sure he had been thinking something else.

"Do you want to go this afternoon?" he asked this time turning his head to look at me.

"We may as well, no point in putting it off."

"Do you want Harry to come, maybe Ginny too?"

I didn't answer straight away, thinking about it I realized that I didn't want anyone else there. I didn't know what state I would find my childhood home and that scared me, if I needed comfort or help Ron was the only person I wanted it from.

"No, I'd prefer it was just you and I."

"Come on then," Ron said as he stood up and reached down to help me up, "lets go quickly eat some lunch then we should get going."

"Ron, do you always think about food?" I said grinning at him as we began our walk back to the house hand in hand.

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><p><strong>AN:** I would just like to thank everyone again for reading and especially reviewing, I try to take what everyone says into account and I am going to start making chapters longer from now on. Thanks Again.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Sorry it took a while to update, I've been really busy finishing my studies. I have now finished (YAY!) and will have more time to focus on this. Thanks again everyone for the reviews and please keep them coming. I am also after a Beta Reader so if anyone is interested or you know of anyone who might be please let me know.

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

I was currently standing in front of my house and it looked exactly the same as it had before I left, red brick, with white window edges and roof. The lawn was cut and the blue curtains my mum loved where still hanging in the windows, the rose bushes in the garden were in full bloom and the same old welcome matt lay at the front door.

"It's still theirs." I muttered as I took in the house, "Mum loved those curtains and dad would never that old matt at the door."

"That's brilliant," said Ron genuinely pleased.

We slowly walked up to the front door and I reached under the matt to find the Key I had left there.

"What on Earth?"

"It's the key to the front door. I wasn't all that concerned about Muggles breaking in and as I can see by your reaction, I was right to assume a pureblood wizard would have no idea to look under that matt for a spare key."

"Muggles leave keys to their house at the front door, where anyone could get it?"

"As I said I wasn't concerned about muggles getting in, I was concerned about Death Eaters. Before I left I put a protective enchantment on the house making sure that magic wouldn't work to unlock anything, only muggle methods of unlocking windows and doors would work."

"You really are a genius Hermione."

I unlocked the door as quietly as possible and opened the door a couple of inches, there was no noise coming from inside and I hadn't been blown away from the door yet, so taking that as a good sign I continued to push the door open.

The sight before me broke my heart, the furniture had been thrown around the room, photo frames where smashed on the floor, the TV had been smashed and painted on the wall, in what I truly hoped was red paint, was the word "MUDBLOOD."

My legs turned to jelly and I fell to the floor only a few feet inside the entrance, though the outside looked immaculate as it always did the interior of my parent's house had been destroyed. I couldn't see clearly through the liquid building up in my eyes, I could feel my limbs shaking uncontrollably and I was trying not to choke on the object obstructing my airways. I lifted my sleeve with my shaking hand and glanced back and forward between the word on my arm and the one on the wall before I felt Ron's arms scoop me up of the floor.

He placed me on the couch, which he must have righted because I had seen it on its side only moments earlier, before continuing to make his way around the room waving his wand and muttering under his breath. The tears were now freely falling from my eyes but I used all the strength I had to hold back the sobs threatening to escape my lips. From my position on the couch I started to repair the photo frames around the room and hang them back on the walls, I was in none of them.

"I'll be back in a minute," Ron began, "I'm going to check out the rest of the house, make sure it is safe and all."

"I'll come with you." I said, raising myself from the couch.

"No, stay here, where I know it is safe. I'll be back in just a minute."

"Ron, I'm not going to let you risk your safety while I say here doing nothing, I'll go."

Ron walked over to me and kissed my cheek, "Please stay, I'm here to help, remember?"

Sighing in defeat I curled up on the couch again and Ron headed upstairs. As I looked around the house I noticed that nothing had been taken, just damaged. Not that there was much left here, just furniture, appliances and a few photos. Anything a wizard would want, such as jewelry my parents would have taken with them, after all they had moved away, I'm surprised they didn't get rid of this house all together.

I got up to have a closer look at the writing on the wall, it was blood, I had seen enough of it over the last year to know exactly what had been used to paint the word on the wall. At this realization I began to panic, what if my parents hadn't left in time, what if they never made it to Australia. I stepped away from the wall and backed into something solid, with an impressive scream I whirled around and came face to face with…Ron.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"R-Ron, its b-blood."

"I know"

"M-My parents, w-what if they n-never…" I couldn't finish what I was trying to say, I was hysterical and finding it difficult to breath.

"It's not your parents blood." Ron tried to comfort me.

"You don't know t-that, they may not have left in t-time."

Ron pulled me into him and I buried my face in his chest as he spoke, "Hermione, your parents definitely left, there is nothing here, no clothes, food, personal items, nothing, they must have just left the furniture and stuff because they kept the house."

"You think they are safe?" I asked

"Yes I do. They moved out of this house, leaving nothing but furnishings and went to Australia, just as you made them."

"What if they were intercepted on the way to the airport, what if they…"

"Hermione, please calm down, I'm sure the aurors will find your parents before the day after next and they will be perfectly healthy and happy."

I stayed in Rons secure arms for several minutes, not wanting to pull away and see the state of the house, however I finally acknowledged I couldn't hide from it forever and found the strength to pull away.

"Where do you want to start?" asked Ron

"May as well begin here," I replied before waving my want to clean up the glass and mud from the carpet before righting all the furniture.

It didn't take long to have the house respectable, in times like these I really loved magic, mind you, if it wasn't for magic it wouldn't have happened in the first place… but whatever. We repaired photo frames, the TV, mirrors, dishes, vases and a smashed window. We also removed dust and made sure fresh sheets were on the bedding before Ron and I headed up to what used to be my room.

"I always imagined your room to have more books than walking space," commented Ron as we walked into the incredibly plain room filled with only a bed, a dresser and a little bookcase.

"I emptied this room before I left, I even changed the bed covers to a more neutral colour." I explained.

"Where did you take everything?"

I placed my beaded bag on the bed and indicated towards it.

"You're kidding, you've been carrying around your entire bedroom, this whole time? You should have taken some of it out and put it in the tent, it may have made you feel more comfortable."

Shaking my head I explained, "I think it would have upset me more than anything."

"Well do you want to get it out and make this room yours again?"

I nodded and reached into the bag to pull out a plain and simple black pouch, "This is what I practiced the undetectable extension charm on, before I did it on the beaded one."

Silently I magically took everything out of the pouch and put it back where it came from. I enlarged the bookcase so it covered the entire back wall and my books zoomed into place. I removed the plain beige bedding and replaced it with my purple and white, with baby blue throw pillows leaning against the headboard. My clothes hung and folded themselves in the wardrobe while frames containing photos of Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna perched themselves on the dresser. I enlarged the desk that I had shrunk to the size of my little finger and returned it to the corner before a laptop and loads of little nic nax found there rightful place on, in and around it. Finally my shoes and a few other belongings zipped out of the room and found a home downstairs leaving the black pouch empty.

I looked over to see Ron staring around like he was in a foreign country, it was then I realized that Ron had never been in my bedroom before. He had been downstairs when he and his dad came to collect me before going to the burrow for the first time, but he had never been in my room. I nervously waited for him to make some snide comment but instead his lips turned up into a smile and he turned to face me.

"Your room suits you," Ron said before continuing his survey of the room.

"What do you mean?" I asked nervously, for some unexplainable reason I truly cared what he thought of this room.

"It's pretty." He simply stated

"What?" I asked bluntly.

"It's pretty," re repeated as he looked to me again, oblivious to my confused state, "It's girly but not over the top and it's organized, just like you," he finished while smiling.

"You like it?" I asked, not really caring why he liked it… just that he did.

"I do. Like I said, it's just like you." Ron answered easily.

I was warmed as I realized this as one of Ron's strange ways of complementing me and I moved towards him, my legs acting without direction. He wrapped his arms around me and I snuggled into his chest, staying there for several minutes feeling safe and happy. When he held me with his strong warm arms, it was if he was not only shielding my body but my mind from all the darkness that surrounded out lives, I forgot that we had spent almost a year on the run, that Fred was gone and that my parents were on the other side of the planet. Letting all thought fall from my mind I squeezed tighter and tried to move closer to him, which wasn't really possible.

"Is everything ready for your parents to come home?" he asked.

"I think so." I replied trying to hide my disappointment at being brought back to reality.

"I think we should head back home soon, Mum thinks we are with Harry and Ginny visiting Teddy. Harry and I planned that if we all apperate just outside the boundary around four then we can walk into the house together. She will never know we were out and about on our own."

"Your mum doesn't know we came here?" I asked as I stepped away from him, feeling terrible for deceiving Mrs. Weasley.

"Hermione, you know she would never let us come here on our own. She thinks we're going to get attacked by Death Eaters or mobbed by crowds of people." Ron tried to calm me with this explanation.

I couldn't help but realize he was right. There was no way on Earth Ron's parents would have allowed us to come here on our own. It was depressing to think that we had practically become prisoners because of everything we had done; I always thought that if we could just get rid of Voldemort everything would go back to normal. How stupid and naïve I was to think that. I now see that nothing will be as it was before, we may not be constantly running for our lives and once all the Death Eaters have been round up I don't believe there will be much threat on our safety but now we get all the attention that Harry has been getting for years. It sucked.

I sighed in defeat and looked at the time, "well, we have about ten minutes until we have to meet the other two, lets head back down stairs."

Ron followed me out the door and we headed down the stairs. I took one last look around the place before coming to the conclusion that there was nothing else I could do until we had some indication towards the whereabouts of my parents, I opened the font door and headed down the drive way.

"You're not going to leave the key?" asked Ron when he realized I still had it with me.

"There is no point, I'm going to need it sooner or later." I answered.

"Well then, that makes sense, you're supposed to keep them with you, not at the front door," stated Ron while looking at me like I was an idiot.

I was saved having to give some kind of explanation when one of the neighbors walked up to us.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, thank you so much for everything you have done." The man said as he shook Ron's hand and kissed the top of mine.

I stared in complete shock at the man who I knew as Mr. Anderson, he had lived across the street from me for years and as far as I knew he and his wife were muggles. I had no idea what to say, I was trying to sift through the many questions I had and find the most pressing, but I couldn't decide what I wanted to know the most. He must have noticed my state of shock because he continued to explain calmly as if he were speaking to a toddler.

"Miss Granger, I was going to stop them but there were so many and I new they would kill me in a heart beat. I know that was very cowardly of me but I new that your parents had left, I seen them pack up and leave only days before. When no one else moved in or even came to look at the place I decided to go take a look at it myself but I couldn't get in. Every piece of magic I tried failed, it was like I my first day at Hogwarts, I couldn't do anything. I have no idea how they got in."

When Mr. Anderson finished his rambling explanation it was Ron who spoke first, I was still trying to process the fact that I had lived across the street from a wizard for years and had no idea. "You did all you could, it wasn't cowardly for you not to confront them; it was smart. You're right about the fact they would kill you for trying to stop them."

"Yes well, I managed to put up a silencing charm around the place so none of the other neighbors would hear anything and become suspicious. I've also kept your lawn and garden maintained so the place didn't look abandoned, even though I figured it had been."

"Thank you," I managed so finally get out.

"Well, I best be off, my wife is probably wondering where the hell I ran off to. It was so good to see you home Miss Granger and an honour to meet you Mr. Weasley, again thank you so much for everything."

However before either Ron or I could respond he was gone.

"Well that was strange," muttered Ron.

"I thought they were muggles," I said as I stared across at the house he had vanished into, "the whole time they've lived there, I just assumed they were muggles."

"How long have they been there?" asked Ron.

"I'm sure they moved in the summer before third year, right at the beginning." I answered still deep in thought.

"Well we better get going or we're going to keep Harry and Ginny waiting," said Ron as he grabbed my hand and started to walk down the street towards the hidden footpath we had used to apperate to.

When we returned to The burrow Harry and Ginny were already at the meeting spot… snogging. It seemed they didn't even hear us apperate, as they didn't even flinch at the sound we would have made.

"Harry, Ginny, we're back." I said trying to get their attention.

They didn't stop, if anything the snogging intensified.

"Bloody hell that's disgusting." Ron said as he bent to pick up a stick. He walked over to them looking at the sky and jabbed Harry in the ribs.

Harry jumped away from Ginny and Ron, obviously satisfied that he had ruined the moment between Harry and his sister Ron turned and walked back in the direction of the house.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Harry yelled after him as he and Ginny began to walk after us.

"I didn't particularly want to throw up," Ron answered without turning in their direction, "poking you with a stick seemed like the only way to get your attention without having to get too close."

We walked back to the house in silence, Harry and Ginny slightly embarrassed at being caught, Ron probably trying to erase the image of his best mate and sister snogging the life out of each other and I was thinking how glad I was that Ron hadn't killed Harry. As much as the idea grossed Ron out I could tell he was secretly happy it was Harry with Ginny, I mean he did put that charm around them while they were arguing and he had had ample opportunity to punch the lights out of Harry but he hadn't… yet.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The moment we walked inside, Mrs. Weasley bombarded us with questions, How is little Teddy? How is Andromeda? Did you run into any trouble? Etc, etc. The answers Ron and I made up on the spot managed to please Mrs. Weasley and after Harry handed her a photo of the little guy changing his hair colour between Harry's Black, Ginny's Urban and his natural light brown she eventually left us alone

Harry, Ron, Ginny and I quickly went up to Ron's room and exchanged stories from the day. Ron and I recounted the state of my parent's house and how Mr. Anderson, the man across the street was a wizard. Harry laughed at the last part and mentioned how similar the situation was to Mrs. Figg living in Private Dr and not revealing her true identity until absolutely necessary.

The thought of Dumbledore arranging for someone magical to be near my childhood home seemed far-fetched to me, but Harry and Ron were both adamant that Dumbledore had something to do with it.

We then listened to Harry and Ginny recount their afternoon with Teddy, Harry had decided that he would go over to Andromeda's place every Wednesday afternoon and Saturday to look after Teddy and to give Andromeda a break. He seemed proud and terrified at the same time to have volunteered to take care of a baby but you could see that he wanted to do it more than anything. Ginny also seemed happy at the prospect of having a chance to visit Teddy, she revealed to us that she had been made Teddy's godmother, Harry had nearly fainted at the statement and was shocked to only be hearing about this for the first time when he did.

It made sense really; Ginny and Tonks had become close over the last three years. Ginny enjoyed having another girl around to talk to and Tonks had enjoyed the company of all the Weasleys but she took a particular liking to Ginny. Why Remus hadn't told us or Harry who Teddy's Godmother was, was a question that would never be answered and Ginny explained she hadn't mentioned it because she thought we new.

When Mrs. Weasley called us down for dinner it was once again a quiet affair that seemed to last longer than anyone particularly wanted it to. When we all had finished Mr. Weasley asked that everyone congregate in the living room to discuss what was going to happen with Fred's funeral. Ron went upstairs to try and bring George down, which gave me the perfect opportunity to discreetly begin doing the dishes.

As I began to hand wash the dishes someone picked up the towel on the bench and began to dry. I looked up to see Harry next to me, silently drying the dishes manually and stacking them in piles on the bench space beside him.

That's where I was right now, standing in the kitchen silently, though familiarly washing up after dinner. Harry and I didn't have to say anything to know why the other had not followed the Weasley's into the living room, despite being invited to join the discussion and being treated as part of the family, we were not.

I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to realize that Harry had stopped drying dishes and I had none left to wash. I continued to stand at the sink with my hands in the soapy water staring at the photo of the Weasley's hanging on the wall. I let a tear roll down my face not sure what it was for; I was upset for so many reasons that I couldn't even distinguish which one had made me cry. Was it the fact that Fred was dead or was it because I missed my parents or was it because I, at least had parents, unlike Harry.

"Harry what are we going to do?" I asked quietly.

He seemed to understand that I didn't just mean right now, but in general, "well your parents will come home and you'll get your family back, you'll be happy with Ron and because you're a genius, you'll get any job you want. I'll find somewhere to live, I don't want to stay at Grimauld place, it creeps me out too much, but my parents had enough that I should be able to get my own place. I'll help take care of Teddy and hopefully get a job doing something that I deserve, not one given to me because I'm _Harry Potter_."

"You're not going to stay here?" I asked a little shocked that he had obviously given more thought to the future than I had.

"I know that Mr and Mrs Weasley have never minded me staying here before, but that was only ever for a couple of weeks before school started. I always had school or the Dursley's to go back to, now I don't and I can't expect them to let me stay forever, especially now that I'm with Ginny."

"I don't know if I'll be able to go home, my parents will probably hate me for what I did to them, I can't assume they will want to return and have everything go back to normal. They may be scared of me, scared of what I can do. They accepted what I am, but it was easier when I couldn't do magic outside of school. It got awkward when I went home after sixth year and automatically began doing things with magic, I would catch them staring when they thought I wasn't paying attention. I can't imagine what they would think when they realized I used my wand on them."

"Hermione, your parents aren't the Dursleys, they wont hate you for being a witch." Harry said trying to comfort me.

"They wont hate me for what I am, but its possible they will, for what I did to them. I'll have no family and nowhere to go. I can't stay here either, me staying hear is supposed to be temporary; I'm expected to be gone the moment my parents are back in the country. I'll get kicked out and I'll be homeless and without a family…"

"Just like me." Harry said, finishing my sentence.

"No such thing will ever happen." Mrs. Weasley's voice got our attention and we both spun around in the direction of the doorway.

Standing in the doorway was Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Ron. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny both had tears welling in their eyes, while Ron looked as though he was going to punch something.

Though she looked like she was going to break down any second Mrs. Weasley spoke strongly, "You two will always have a home here, do I make myself clear?" We nodded and she continued, "I don't want either of you to ever feel like you have no where to go or that you have no family. Just because you don't share our name or have red hair does not make this home and family any less yours."

I let a few more tears fall, however they were not tears of sadness but of happiness. I looked at Harry and noticed how his eyes where wet, I saw him swallow hard and go to say something but only silence came out of his mouth. I'm sure if I tried to say something the same thing would happen. Mrs. Weasley recognized our dilemma and crossed the room and pulled us both into a bone-crushing hug.

After a few moments I felt Ron come and stand behind me he placed one hand on the small of my back, and the other on my waist before gently prying me away from his mothers grip. "Mum you're going to suffocate them."

Mrs. Weasley let Harry and I go before wiping her eyes and saying, "I'll give you all a minute, and then I want _everyone_ in the living room to finish planning."

When Mrs. Weasley left, Ron wrapped me in his arms as I seen from the corner of my eye Ginny flinging herself at Harry.

"You two are completely mental for thinking that you would have nowhere to go." Ron said quietly as he ran his fingers through my hair.

"Yeah, and if you think I was going to let you go off on your own again, your highly mistaken," added Ginny.

I managed to pull myself together quite quickly, Rons embrace made me feel so much better and I was slightly afraid that if I didn't distance myself soon I was not only going to do something slightly inappropriate in front of Harry and Ginny but unbelievably inappropriate given the sad and depressing task we were supposed to be doing.

I untangled myself from Rons arms and grabbed his hand before making my way into the living area, Harry and Ginny not far behind.

We made our way into the room and Ron sat down in an armchair, I was about to plop down onto the floor when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me down on his lap. This action received a variety of looks from his family, his parents both had expressions of struggle, as if they were happy but didn't want to condone the behavior. Bill had a similar expression to his parents but his wife was beaming. Charlie had a smirk that would rival one of Malfoy's and surprisingly Percy looked as if he approved. George continued to stare into the fireplace like nothing else in the world existed but the orange flames that danced within.

Feeling uncomfortable with the awkward attention I began to shift but Ron held me tight, "I would prefer to have you close," he whispered in my ear, "I'm going to need you."

Hearing those words and the sincerity behind them had me making myself comfortable in Rons lap, I didn't care for the people staring as all I wanted to do was make this difficult time easier for Ron. He had been there for me all day, helping in everyway possible, to organize the return of my parents and now I was going to be there for him.

Harry and Ginny knew they wouldn't get the same reaction from the Weasleys if they sat as Ron and I currently were. Harry opting to keep his life sat down next to Ginny on the floor and held her hand, not daring touch her in any other way.

Fred's funeral was being held the day after tomorrow, as was the funeral of Remus and Tonks. Fred's was going to be held at the little cemetery in Ottery St Catchpole as that is where many other Weasleys had been laid to rest in the past. Everyone was then going to return to The Burrow for a short period of time before heading over to Andromeda's as Remus and Tonks were going to buried there, with Ted Tonks.

Once there was nothing else necessary to discuss or organize, in regards to the funeral, the room filled with a hopeless silence before George wordlessly got up and returned to his room. Once we all heard the door close, others began to disperse around the house, each consumed by their own miserable thoughts, leaving Ron, Harry, Ginny and I alone.

After several more minutes of silence Ginny stood up and reached her hand down to Harry, "will you walk with me?"

"Yeah," Harry replied as he took her hand and rose from his position on the floor. "See you guys later yeah?" he finished and squeezed Rons shoulder.

It was usually funny watching Harry and Ron attempt to display emotional comfort to each other, as they were both always so awkward when it came to being open about their feelings. This simple gesture however, broke my heart and made me so proud at the same time. Ron nodded his thanks and moments later it was just Ron and I in the room, still curled up on the couch.

I twisted in Ron's lap so that I could face him, the image that I was presented with was heart wrenching. Ron's face had always shown emotion, whether he was happy, sad, embarrassed or angry, except for right right now. At this moment it was completely blank. The only indication that there was life behind those far away eyes, was that they were leaking; tears were silently slipping down his checks and dripping off of his jaw and onto my shirt.

As I was drawing a blank when it came to finding words of comfort, I opted to wrap him in a tight hug. We stayed on the couch for what felt like hours before Ron finally spoke, "Wanna come up stairs with me?"

I nodded and removed myself from on top of him; he then grabbed my hand and led me up the rickety stairs to his room. He closed he door behind us and for once I didn't give a damn that we were breaking rules. As far as I'm concerned, everyone deserves their privacy when mourning and choosing to have company while doing so was not a crime.

I sat down on the bed beside him and instantly he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me down into a laying potion beside him.

"Are you tired, Hermione?" He asked quietly.

"A little bit, I can go back to Ginny's room if you want to go to sleep." I whispered back, trying to hide my disappointment at the prospect of having to leave his arms.

"I want you to stay here tonight."

"Ron, you know I can't, we'll get in trouble." I said, trying to convince myself just as much as Ron that I should leave.

"I don't care," replied Ron and he moved us both so that we were in the spooning position.

I sighed in defeat and snuggled in closer to him, "I'm not taking any responsibility for this if your mum finds us."

As we lay together in silence, I tried to sort out all the mixed thoughts and emotions that crowded my head. It felt terrible having so many mixed emotions filling me at the same time and I desperately wanted to try and sort them out. But I didn't know how. The relief I felt knowing I was no longer being hunted like an animal, due to my blood status and friendship with Harry was immeasurable. That, combined with the realization that we could now go through life without the fear and terror Voldemort had brought into our lives made me undeniably happy. But not everyone survived the fight for that happiness and this thought brought in emotions that almost swallowed the good ones whole. My fear regarding my parents safety and the possibility they may not understand or forgive me for drastically changing their lives was beginning to drive me mental. Then add in the fact that I feel like a slag because I continuously think about doing things with Ron that, quite frankly shouldn't even be crossing my mind, given everything I have just mentioned.

It was exhausting thinking about so much at once, yet the possibility of sleep was incredibly low.

"I can't stand feeling like this." I whispered, not entirely sure if I was speaking to Ron or myself.

"Feeling like what?" Ron asked with concern evident in his voice.

"I feel like I'm feeling too much, feeling to many different thinks, I feel like I'm going crazy. God, did that even make sense?"

"It made perfect sense, to me anyway, I'm in the same boat." Ron answered back.

"I just want to forget everything, for at least a little while. I wish I could just think about one simple thing and not have ten billion other thoughts ruin or confuse it."

"I know the feeling. I found something that does that for me but then after I feel terrible," replied Ron, he sounded embarrassed, like he was unsure if he should be admitting this.

"What do you mean, you found something?" I enquired, still without turning to face him.

"I found something to do that makes me forget everything else but that one thing," he said, then followed by placing his lips behind my ear.

The sensations that shot though my body at that simple action made me all the more aware of how my bum was pressed against his crotch, his strong arms were wrapped around me and his lips were hovering only inches above my head. It then struck me, _right between the legs,_ what Ron had been trying to say, I made him forget.

He placed another kiss, this time a lingering one below my ear before continuing to speak, "I want to forget Hermione, even if it is for just a couple of minutes and I feel horrible afterwards."

Wanting nothing more than to give him what he wants, I turned around and captured his lips with mine. He made a humming noise and it vibrated through my body, urging me to give more.

After several minutes of snogging Ron rolled over so that I was pinned beneath him. Ron had positioned himself so that his hard length was pressing against my center, causing me to suck in a deep breath.

"Sorry," Ron murmured and went to move off of me.

I was having none of that and grabbed onto him so that he couldn't roll off, "No, don't be, I was just…ummm, shocked…I mean, I wasn't, e-epecting…you know…I've never."

Oh god, how was I supposed to explain that I had never had a clearly aroused guy on top of me? I had never had _any_ kind of guy this close to me. I was a blubbering mess, so deciding that speaking was only going to make this situation awkward, I leant up and reclaimed Rons lips.

Without further question Ron responded enthusiastically, propping himself up on his hands so that his top half hovered over me and his bottom half was pressing me further into the bed. The pressure that Ron was applying between my legs with his body felt surprisingly good and made me curious as to how good it could feel without the barrier of clothing. Blushing at my own thoughts I tried to concentrate on something else, like what his lips and tongue felt like against mine, or how broad and toned his shoulders felt below my travelling hands. This of course didn't stop my thoughts travelling down the very, short road, to how I'd like to do much more than snog Ron. Without thought, I began to lift his shirt and he sat up so that he could finish taking it over is head, he then immediately scooped one arm under me and lifted my top half off the bed, he then used his other hand to try and remove my shirt. As he tried to do this with only one hand I assisted and in moments we were laying back down on the bed, snogging the life out of each other without shirts on.

Feeling his skin on my almost completely exposed chest sent shivers throughout my body, which I didn't quite understand as he was incredibly warm. Ron began to slowly grind his hips against mine and the friction it caused made me want to rip the rest of our clothes off, so that there was no obstruction in the way.

Holy shit! I was seriously considering sex.

"Hermione, can I take this off?" Ron asked while fingering the straps of my bra.

I nodded and sat up a little so that Ron could reach around behind me. As Ron fumbled with the clasp, realization of what was actually happing set in, I was about to be completely topless with Ron. That was if he could ever figure out how to get it undone.

Some awkwardness began to fill the room when he couldn't get it undone and my stomach muscles were struggling to hold me in the position I was in.

"Stupid thing… I can't... stuck." Ron was muttering while turning a bright shade of red, which I wasn't sure was the result of embarrassment or frustration.

I reached around and undid the clasp but before Ron could pull the straps away from my shoulders I folded my arms tightly across my chest, holding the bra to me like a lifeline.

"How did you do that?" asked a puzzled Ron.

"Umm, I guess you get the hang of it when you have to do it everyday." I said uncomfortably.

"Fuck that was a stupid question." Ron scolded himself then looked down at my arms crossed over my chest. "Did you want to do it back up?"

I shook my head but couldn't find the courage to move my arms away. Ron then slowly put one of his hands on mine and gently moved it away from my body, he then slowly repeated the process so that he had moved both my arms down by my side, leaving my plain white bra loosely hanging in front of my chest.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Yeah, it's okay." I managed to get out before be pulled the bra away from me. He stared down at me with his eyes nearly falling out of his head, "you're looking at me like you've never seen boobs before."

"I haven't," Ron quickly answered, "I mean not in real life, I mean, I've seen photos, not that I look at photos, Seamus used to have some posters in the dorm, fuck, I should just shut up, right?"

I answered by dragging him down on me so that I could kiss him again ecstatic that it seemed he hadn't seen Lavender like this. One of Rons hands roamed up my body and covered one mound before be began to squeeze and rub. We moaned in each others mouths before Ron pulled away and trailed kisses down my neck, he found the spot that made my heart race but quickly moved on, moving down to my collar bone. He paused and looked up at me with a question in his eyes, I swallowed hard and nodded, giving him permission to move his lips lower.

I was stiff as a board as his lips made their way lower and lower, having him place kisses on my chest felt brilliant, however I was feeling self-conscious about my size. I was not what people would refer to as busty or curvy, I was skinny, angular and my chest did not consist of much. All these thoughts however evaporated the moment his mouth closed over my nipple, I arched my chest up and tried to suppress the load moan threatening to explode from my lips.

After a moment Ron rolled away from me and began to scavenge around the bed searching for something. Seconds later he sat up holding his wand high in the air before exclaiming, "found it." He then pointed towards the door and I heard the locks click shut before I heard him cast Muffliato.

How did I not think of that?

We continued to kiss and touch each other until I felt like bursting, I was bucking my hips as he ground back down into me, imitating what I so desperately wanted to do without jeans on.

Ron's quiet murmur of "I want you so bad" ultimately caused me to make the biggest decision of my life; I reached between us and began to undo his pants. I wanted to have sex with Ron…now.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm getting rid of these, they are in my way."

Without hesitation Ron helped me remove his jeans, leaving him in nothing but a black pair of tented boxers. I stared, I couldn't help it, I tried to drag my eyes away but was finding that task very difficult.

"Can I?" Ron's voice said, getting my attention.

He had his hands at the top of my jeans and was asking if he could take them off. Figuring there was no turning back now I nodded and lifted my hips when he needed to pull them over my butt. I was secretly thanking Merlin for the fact I was not wearing hideous underwear, not that I was wearing anything special but at least they weren't plain and daggy.

It was now Ron's turn to stare; he looked down at my basically naked body surprisingly with a look of awe, "Fucking perfect."

"Excuse me?" I asked shocked.

"Fuck, shit, wait, can I start again? What I was suppose to say was, you're beautiful. I wasn't meant to sound like a jerk; I can't believe I'm ruining this already. Fuck!"

I once again leaned up and took his lips with my own, I tried to tell him in that one kiss that he hadn't ruined anything, in fact he had made it all the better. I was thrilled to find he found my body at least somewhat appealing and his obvious nervousness was beginning to make me think he was just as inexperienced in this as I was.

I worked up all the courage I possessed and hooked my finger in the top of his boxers, when I slowly began to pull them over his length he pulled away from the kiss. After a bit of fumbling and awkwardness Ron finished removing his underwear and kicked them of the end of the bed before slowly pulling my own down. Ron didn't take his eyes away from mine as he removed the last piece of clothing covering me and we both shook with nerves at what we new was about to happen.

"Do you know the spell?" I asked

"Yeah," Ron replied before waving his wand between us.

Ron lent closer and as I spread my legs a little wider I felt the tip of his hardness press against me. The moment this happened Ron quickly pulled away, "shit, I'm an idiot, I'm supposed to do this first."

Before I could ask what the hell he was talking about he had dipped his head down between my legs.

"Shit!" the word left my lips as I flew into a sitting position.

Ron quickly lifted his head, "what'd I do wrong?" he asked worry clearly etched on his face.

"Nothing," I breathed out and flopped back down, "that…was good."

As soon as I said the word 'good' Ron went straight back to it. I had never felt anything like it, he ran his tongue over my clit repeatedly causing me to lift my hips into his face harder. Every time I tried to stop he would do it again and I would buck uncontrollably much to my utter embarrassment. It only took a couple of minutes of his kissing, sucking and licking before I felt the overwhelming sensation that I new to be an orgasm.

Ron moved back up so he was hovering over me again, however the look of nervous terror that had covered his face earlier was now gone and in its place was one of accomplishment and…desire. He once again placed his tip at my entrance and when I gave him the go ahead with an approving nod he slowly pushed his way inside me.

I clung onto his back tightly and he buried his face in my out of control hair to muffle his loud moan. It hurt, more than I expected and when Ron went to keep moving I accidently drug my nails into his back, "just hold still for a second."

"Do you want me to pull out?" asked Ron.

"No, I'm just adjusting." I answered as Ron began to shake.

"Why are you shaking?" I asked seriously concerned.

'Feels…so good…trying not… to move," was the answer I got between his heavy breathing.

"Just go slowly, okay."

He nodded against my shoulder and began to move in and out of me, it was the strangest feeling I have ever experienced. It was painful, yet I didn't want him to stop because it was somehow the best thing I had ever felt. Ron was moving very slowly, so after a moment I told Ron he could go a little quicker. He didn't need telling twice and I began to buck my hips to meet his, we found a rhythm quickly and I shifted so I could kiss him. The second I did this however, all rhythm and control was lost as Ron began to thrust erratically and significantly harder than he had previously.

"Fuck, Hermione, I'm going to…" Ron said as he dragged his lips away from mine and buried his face against my neck. He then went ridged and shuddered violently before completely laying down on top of me trying to catch his breath.

"Ron, you're starting to squash me," I said after a couple of minutes completely ruining the moment.

"Fuck, sorry," he said as he rolled to the side, "I can't believe that just happened."

"Neither" I muttered back, as I quickly scavenged around for the edge of the blanket to pull over me.

Before I could successfully cover myself Ron moved back over me so that he hovered above me, "I didn't hurt you did I?"

The sincerity in his voice and concern in his eyes made my heart melt and the concern I had regarding my exposure was forgotten, "not too bad, just what's to be expected I guess."

"I tried to be gentle and I wanted to make you feel good before hand, because I know girls don't usually…you know… the first time and I'm sorry it didn't last long…"

I placed a finger to his lips to stop his rambling, "Ron, calm down, i-it was perfect."

"I promise it will be better next time," I smiled up at him before a look of terror crossed his face, "there will be a next time, wont there?"

"I hope so." I said before laughing.

Ron went to say something but stopped abruptly when a buzzing sound began to ring in our ears, "Fuck" he said as we both launched out of his bed to try and find our clothes.

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><p>AN: Finally did a longer chapter, left it with a little cliff hanger, i promise you shouldn't have to wait long to get more. Please don't be shy with reviews, I love constructive criticism. Again, thank you all for reading, your reviews, story subscriptions and adds make my day.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Chapter 12

I finally found all my clothes but knowing there was not enough time to get them all on, opted for putting jeans on without any nickers and throwing my shirt on before my bra.

"Quick, give me those," a half dressed Ron said before taking my underwear and jamming them in one of his clothes draws before quickly moving to the door and yanking it open.

When Ron turned back around I was shoving a new shirt in his hand and he just pulled it over his head when his father stepped into the doorway.

"Ron what are you doing?" he asked looking straight past him and into the room.

"I spilt my drink on my top and was just changing into a fresh one," Ron impressively made up on the spot.

"It was so bad you had to come up here and change?" asked a curious Mr. Weasley

"I left my wand up here so I figured I may as well just change into a new one."

"Right, well, I came up here looking for Ginny, have you seen her?"

"Her and Harry went for a walk outside, she was a bit upset and you know how she is, she doesn't like anyone seeing her that way."

"Yes, you're right. " Mr. Weasley said, all the while still glancing around Ron's bedroom.

"Okay, bye Dad." Ron said very quickly, clearly trying to get his father to leave as soon as possible.

"Wait," he said before he turned to leave, "Are you okay Hermione, you look awfully flushed?"

"I'm fine thanks," I replied as I wrapped my arms tighter over my chest and tried to give a reassuring smile. It probably looked more like a grimace.

"Okay," he said slowly before leaving the room.

I let out the breath I had been holding and looked over to Ron, he was leaning out the door, watching his dad walk away.

"That was close," he said and turned around.

I nodded and sat on the bed, thinking about how badly that could've turned out if Mr. Weasley had come up any earlier.

Ron came over to the bed and sat down next to me; after a few moments filled with silence he put his arm around me and fell into a laying position, bringing me with him. We were now lying on our sides facing each other, his arm was draped over my waist and we were so close that our noses were touching.

"I love you." Ron whispered so quietly that if it weren't for our extremely close proximity I wouldn't have heard it.

I thought I knew what love was, I thought that my love for Ron could not possible get any stronger but the second those words left his mouth and reached my ears, my heart warmed and swelled until I felt l may explode.

He loved me.

His words had stunned me into silence and it wasn't until I noticed that he was pulling away from me and his face was turning into what resembled a stone gargoyle that I realized he was probably hoping for a response.

"I love you too," I said back, meaning it more than any other words I had ever spoken.

I reached for him so that he wouldn't move further away and gave him a smile that felt strange on my face. Different somehow, like every smile I had ever smiled up until now was a fake, like I had never truly been this happy.

"Really, you love me?" he asked in disbelief.

I nodded and no more than a second later Ron's mouth quickly swooped in on mine.

After the most breathe taking snog imaginable we pulled apart and continued to grin at each other like fools.

"I should go get cleaned up and get change," I said when the sticky feeling on my inner thighs became unbearable.

"You'll come back? I still want you to stay here tonight."

"Yeah, I'll come back," I replied as I took my underwear from Ron's draw and shrunk the items so they would fit in my pocket.

Ron's gaze brought a blush to my face as I realized he was thinking about my lack of undergarments. As I moved to the door, he quickly jumped up and grabbed my arm, spinning me around to face him. After one last searing kiss he released me and I almost bolted down the stairs and into Ginny's room.

The quicker I got there, the quicker I could get fresh clothes, get to the bathroom, clean up and get back to Ron. I banished the fleeting thought of sleeping in Ginny's room so that I didn't get in trouble as swiftly as you would swat at an annoying fly. Nothing was going to stop me from sleeping in Ron's arms tonight.

Fully aware that for the first time in my life I was acting on pure want and desire, I showered and dressed as quickly as possible, before dashing out of the bathroom and back into Ginny's room. I dumped my toiletries and did a mental check that I had not forgotten anything, washed hair, shaved legs, brushed teeth, yep all good to go. I quickly headed straight up to Ron's room and was extremely lucky not to come across anyone on the way. When I got up there I slowly peaked my head through the almost closed door to see Ron scurrying around the room picking up random items and jamming them into trunks, draws and cupboards.

Was he actually tidying up because of me?

"Ron, what are you doing?"

Ron jumped and hit his head on the low ceiling, "shit, Hermione, you scared the life outta me, you shouldn't sneak up on a bloke like that."

I walked into the room shaking my head at his exaggeration, though I couldn't wipe the smile from my face, he really was adorable when he was all nervous and flushed.

I didn't press for an answer to my question; instead I moved into the room and stood beside Ron's now made bed. Ron quickly and clumsily joined me, pulling the covers back and indicating that I should get under them. Once Ron and I were in the bed Ron reached over to the little table beside the bed and grabbed his diluminator, he then quickly sucked the light from the room and moved so that we were once again lying on our sides facing each other.

"We really shouldn't be doing this." I said.

"I know," Ron stated simply, "but I don't care."

"Surprisingly, I don't either," I said coyly, slightly embarrassed at my bold behaviour.

Ron's face split into an impressive grin before he closed the small distance between us claimed my lips. I don't know exactly how it happened but it didn't take long to once again find myself below Ron, our clothes discarded and dumped on the floor beside the bed. Once the necessary charms were in place he lowered himself so that his length was resting at my entrance, he pushed against me a few times but was not entirely in the right place. With a huge amount of courage I reached between us and grabbed hold of him, it was sort of funny to realize that, up until now Ron had been in my most private of areas yet not in my hand. He groaned the moment I touched him, as if my simple touch was the greatest feeling in the world, I smiled and guided him to where he needed to be and he slowly slid his way inside me.

This time was very different to our first time, we found a rhythm much quicker, the pace was a little faster and the pain I had experience the first time was none existent. We moved against each other and this time when we kissed Ron was able to keep the rhythm and pace in sync with my movements. I could feel an amazing sensation build within and every time Ron ran his hands up my body I felt a quiver rip through me. I could feel my release was only moments away and when Ron began to moan a bit louder and squeeze me a little tighter I let myself go. Ron then began to thrust harder and more frantically and I realized that he wasn't going to last much longer himself.

Ron finished with a groan that sounded very similar to my name and collapsed down on top of me. We continued to lie like that for several minutes, Ron catching his breath and I enjoying the feel of his body weight on top of me.

Much to my disappointment Ron removed himself from above me and reached over the bed to grab our clothes. I grabbed my wand and cleaned us both up before pulling my clothes on and settling back down under the covers, Ron adjusted the blanket that had half slipped of the bed and then lay flush against my back.

I heard my three favourite words whispered behind my neck and said them back before drifting of to sleep feeling relaxed, safe and most of all loved.

I woke up to someone shaking my shoulder and opened one eye gingerly to see who had disturbed my sleep. Ginny. When I rolled away from her my face collided with something solid and memories from last night returned full force. I slept with Ron, literally and… not so literally.

"Hermione, you've gotta get outta here, my mum will be up any second and if she finds…"

"I know, I know," I said as I quickly disentangled myself from Ron and jumped out of bed, he still hadn't moved a muscle and how he hadn't woken up was absolutely baffling.

Ginny and I quickly exited the room and Harry, who had been just outside the door moved past me, into Ron's room. I didn't make eye contact, the situation felt awkward enough as it was.

"What is the…"

"Just shut up and keep moving," Ginny demanded as she dragged me by the hand down the stairs. Finally we reached the room and swiftly went in, closing the door behind us.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Not sure exactly, but the sun is coming up so mum will be up and about any time now." Ginny looked around the room as if she was checking no one was in there with us before continuing in a harsh whisper, "what the hell were you thinking? You should have at least set an alarm or something so that you woke up early, if it wasn't for me, you and Ron would surely have been caught."

"It just sort of happened okay."

"What? You just _happened_ to go up to his room after getting ready for bed, you just _happened _to get in his bed…under the covers and fall asleep?"

I looked up at Ginny and tried to murder her with a piercing look, "Oh shut up, don't pretend like this didn't work out in your favour. Harry clearly didn't sleep in Ron's room last night, he was out on the landing still in his clothes from last night."

Ginny flushed and looked away from me before speaking, "fine, okay so maybe, when Harry and I came back inside and I came in here to find it still empty we assumed you were with Ron. We were right, we just weren't expecting to see you curled up in his bed fast asleep." She looked back in my direction and continued, "I don't see why Harry and I have to sleep separately if you two aren't."

"Ginny, I really couldn't care less if you and Harry sleep together, just as long as we don't get caught."

Imagine what people look like when they hear Luna blame something ridiculous on Nargles or some such creature… that is exactly how Ginny was looking at me right now. Like I had lost my mind.

"Did I just hear Hermione Granger say she does not care if we break the rules?"

"I may have had a recent change of heart regarding certain rules and wether or not I plan to stick to them."

The grin that spread across her face reminded me of the Grinch, devious yet hilarious, "do you think we could do this every night, sneak into each others rooms but leave before day light?"

The thought seriously crossed my mind and Ginny new that I was putting substantial thought into her crazy plan. I wanted to, there was no denying it, and the prospect of spending each night with Ron made me think of what_ activities_ we could continue to do. I blushed at my own thoughts but then tried to calm myself down before Ginny noticed and began badgering me with thousands of questions.

"Why are you blushing?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I muttered and moved to the other side of the room.

"OH MY GOD! You didn't just sleep last night, did you?"

I couldn't even lie about it, my face was so hot I felt on fire and for some unknown reason I randomly had the urge to have one of those _girl_ talks and spill the beans.

"We did sleep, just not straight away."

I moved back across the room and joined Ginny on her bed, she was waiting for me to continue but I had no idea what I was supposed to say.

"What did you do?" Ginny asked openly.

"Did you seriously just ask me that? Oh my god, how am I supposed to answer a question like that?" this was so awkward, yet I wanted to continue this conversation so badly. Maybe Ginny could give me some…advice or something.

"You continue by telling me what you did." She replied as if I was stupid.

"We had sex." I blurted out before I could stop myself.

I had rendered Ginny Weasley speechless, quiet a feet if you ask me as the girl always seemed to have a witty comment or come back for everything.

After I couldn't take the silence any longer I decided to try and change the subject, "did you and Harry get up to anything… other than sleep, I mean?"

"You shagged my brother?" Ginny asked as if I hadn't said anything at all regarding herself and Harry.

"Twice." Why the hell did I tell her that? Did sex kill brain cells? Maybe I could blame that on my stupidity.

"Stop, just stop talking," I did, I honestly had no intentions of ever speaking again, "I'm trying to imagine Ron to be someone else, someone tall, dark and handsome, without the sir name Weasley. Once I have done that we can continue this conversation."

After a few more moments of silence Ginny then continued to speak, "Okay, I think I'm good now."

We shared another brief silence before Ginny kept talking.

"I umm… didn't realise you had done more than snog." She said

"We hadn't."

"What? You just said you had sex." Ginny asked very confused.

"We did. We snogged and then had sex." I answered with a surprising dignity.

"and before the sex you had never done anything but snog?"

"Nope, admittedly the snogging was quite intense but nothing ever went any further."

"Unbelievable," Ginny mumbled, "What was it like?"

"Ginny!"

"What? I need to know what I'm missing out on."

Good god, I loved this girl, she somehow made everything out to be a joke. The tension and awkwardness, which had been all on my behalf, left the room immediately.

"You have to promise this conversation will never leave this room."

"I promise." Ginny replied and held out her little finger.

I linked mine with hers and began to try and explain, "umm, well… it was, well, kind of awkward. I mean neither of us really knew what to do and it was over kind of quick."

"It was a disaster wasn't it?"

"NO! No it really wasn't, it was perfect and the second time was much better."

"Oh my god, I totally forgot about there being more than one time. When did you first have sex?"

"Last night."

"I'm confused, if last night was the first time when were you supposed to have done it a second?"

"Last night."

"Are you telling me, that up until last night you had never done more than snog and then the next second you're shagging…twice…in one night?"

I dropped my face into my hands and nodded my head, to embarrassed to look up at her, 'that about sums it up."

"I'm lost for words." She said in wonder.

"That must be a first."

"Does it really hurt? I've heard people say that it does but then others say it's not too bad."

"It does at first, but it gets better… a lot better." I said, not able to hide the smirk on my face. True, I did hurt a little right now but I thought that would be a too much of an over share.

"This is just so crazy, I always thought of you as the kind of girl who wouldn't do it until you were married, I have never been so wrong in my life."

"Anyway," I started, deciding we needed a slight change of topic, "what did you and Harry get up to?"

* * *

><p>AN: Hope you like. Merry belated Christmas, hope everyone had a great and safe day.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Ron's POV.

Despite my eyes still being shut he sun beaming through the window was turning my world an ugly shade of orange. Rolling over in frustration I reached out in search of the soft warm form I knew to be Hermione beside me, my eyes still closed. When my arm flopped down onto nothing but mattress I flung my eyes open in desperate search for her, I raised myself from the mattress quickly while my eyes tried to adjust to the light. If I thought it had been bad when my eyes were closed then I had another thing coming. After what felt like… too fucking long, my eyes adjusted and I noticed Hermione was not only missing from my bed but my entire room.

"She left." Harry said from the sitting position on his bed.

"When? Why?... Wait, weren't you wearing that shirt yesterday?"

"I didn't realise you paid so much attention to what I wear, should Hermione be jealous?" Harry said with an impressive smirk on his face. I also couldn't help but realise he was wide awake, which was strange as I'm sure its still way to early to be up.

"Shut it!" I said a little harshly, "But seriously where is Hermione? And why are you still in your clothes from yesterday?" I said easing my voice a little.

"Ahh, well… I kind of just came up before."

"You didn't sleep in here last night?"

"No, I didn't. I was going too but when I came up you were already a sleep… with Hermione. So I left, you know, gave you some privacy."

I should be thanking the git, but knowing he didn't sleep in here meant he most likely spent the night with Ginny. The thought of Harry and Ginny together like… well, like me and Hermione was unthinkable, disgusting, wrong, sooooo fucking wrong but I knew deep down that if it was going to be anyone I'd prefer it to be Harry.

Who am I kidding? I don't want anyone touching Ginny.

"So if you didn't sleep here…" I said without finishing the question. I wanted him to fill in the blanks.

"I slept with Ginny." He stated simply.

"YOU WHAT?" I basically screamed as I launched myself out of bed.

Little fucking scum bag. Going to Avada him as soon as I find my bloody wand, where the _fuck_ is it.

"Ron, I slept with Ginny, I didn't shag her, calm down."

Found it, my wand had slightly rolled under my bed. I quickly strode across the room and as I jabbed it into Harry's chest, his words registered in my brain.

"You didn't shag Gin?"

"Much to my disappointment, no I didn't." he said calmly.

Why was be being so calm about this? Fucking smart-ass. As I struggled to find the appropriate thing to say Harry looked up at me questioningly.

"Though you can't say the same about Hermione, can you?"

"It's none of you business, what Hermione and I do… or don't do."

"Just as what Ginny and I do… or don't do, isn't yours."

"She's my sister." I said back. Even to me my defence sounded pathetic.

"Exactly. The personal details of your sisters relationship is none of your business. I don't go threatening you even though I consider Hermione my sister. I haven't punched your face in even though I know damn well you _have_ shagged her."

The git had a point. But how did he know about Hermione?

"You don't know if Hermione and I have-"

Harry cut me off, "you have. I can see it all over your face and I could see it written all over hers earlier. So don't stand here and get angry with me because I left you two alone, don't pretend as though you wanted me up here because I know you didn't."

Once again, the git had a point.

"You really didn't shag Ginny?"

"No I didn't." Harry began, "But, Ron, I will… at some stage… if she wants… what I mean is, I love her and I cant imagine ever being with anyone else… and I don't exactly plan on being a virgin forever."

"Okay, I can kind of see where you're coming from. This is just sooo fucked up. I really have been trying to… accept you two, but when I think about you two… you know… it's hard. It's hard to image anyone with Ginny, so it's not like it's just you or something."

"I know, I can kind of understand as Hermione is like my sister. I have to admit its strange you two being together, I've had years to wrap my head around it yet its still weird."

"Years?" I asked.

"Well yeah, you both liked each other, so I kind of assumed you would get your shit together and do something about it. You kind of did when Dumbledore died, I guess I thought of you two as a couple since the summer."

This was crazy info, Harry knew Hermione liked me and didn't say anything, what a wanker. And what's this shit about Hermione and me acting like a couple? I was trying to process this mental shit when Harry began talking again.

"Whatever. Are we going to need some kind of code or special knock now? So I don't walk in and actually see... or are you going to give me prior notice or…"

"Stop right there…now. I am _not_ going to tell you when I'm going to… you know. Oh my god, this is shit. Aren't guys supposed to be able to talk about this, the other blokes at school actually bragged about shagging some bird."

"If you say anything about Hermione remotely close to how Seamus talked about girls, I will punch you… hard."

"I'm not going to tell you anything like that, fuck. Harry, she's important, like seriously important, I wanna tell fucking everyone that she's mine but I'm not telling anyone stuff like that. I even told her… that she's important."

"You told her she's important? You're such a charmer Ron."

"Shut up, you know what I meant, I actually told her I loved her… and she said it back. And now I sound like a total loser."

The guy must think I'm a complete fag talking all that kind of shit.

"Ron, I love Ginny," Harry was red, which was seriously rare, "I love Ginny more than anything and if it makes me a fagot for telling you this then so be it. I told her and she said it back, I nearly stopped breathing, no one has ever said those three words to me."

I could see how happy he was just remembering it. At first I thought he was really losing it but then I remembered how happy I felt… still feel because Hermione had said those words to me. Words that I had heard from my family so many times I've lost count, in fact, I never bothered to count because I had been told since…forever. It was obviously different when Hermione says it but the thought of Hermione being the only one to ever say those words to me was unimaginable.

Ginny had been the only person Harry could remember to say those words to him. Risking any masculinity I had left I decided I was going to change that.

"I love you."

Harry looked at me with a mixture of happiness and confusion, like he didn't exactly understand why I had said it.

"You're like my family and I love you just as much as I love them. Ginny shouldn't be the only person you know to have told you that."

Surprisingly it wasn't as humiliating as I thought it would be.

"I love you too… you're the first friend I ever had, the best friend I'll ever have."

Harry didn't seem all that embarrassed either, a little shocked but I imagine that's because of the significance of the moment in his life. Hermione must be rubbing off on me; I'm all compassionate and shit. I'm even beginning to use bigger words when talking to myself. Mental.

Thinking about Hermione had my mind very quickly going back to last night, the best night of my life.

"Stop thinking about Hermione." Harry said quickly.

"How did you know I was thinking about Hermione?" Psychic this one.

"I didn't, you just confirmed it."

"Wanker," I said with no seriousness at all, "I know we said we weren't going to talk about it but I have to ask, "What did you do with Ginny?"

"Last night?"

"Yeah." I said bracing myself.

Don't punch him, don't punch him, don't punch him.

"Honestly not much, she was really upset and we kind of just talked for ages… about Fred and everything from when we were away, I promised her I'd explain everything and she's telling me about her year."

'You seriously did nothing?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I said not much, not nothing. We snogged a lot."

"Right, just snogging."

"Right, just like when we walking in on you and Hermione snogging in your bed the other day, a bit like that."

The prick had to say it with a smile on his face. If he was talking about what I'm remembering that's some serious snogging. Fuck, I was on top of Hermione, snogging the life out of her, running my hands fucking everywhere when they ruined it.

Remembering this put me in a strange place, I was disgusted at the thought of Harry and Ginny like that so I decided I may as well think about Hermione and me like that. But then I thought about last night and about doing it again. Remembering last night had given me an instant hard on, thank fuck I'm sitting down and just happened to be holding my pillow, I discretely placed it in my lap.

"Okay, don't explain, I don't even know why I bothered to ask."

"So… you and Hermione… serious now yeah?"

"I was always serious about her."

"You know what I mean, I was just trying to avoid saying sex directly… and now you've made me say it. Damn you." Harry was shaking his head and looking at the ceiling as he cursed at me.

"Yes, we had sex…"

Fuck it, I had to tell someone, not caring if I embarrassed Harry, I started spewing random shit from my mouth.

"It was amazing," Harry groaned in disturbance but didn't leave the room, "she was amazing, sex was amazing."

"Okay, I get the point. Anything else? I want this conversation over."

"I sucked," I said honestly as I deflated.

"You couldn't have been that bad."

"But I was, I just told you how important she is, it was supposed to be special, she would have wanted that. She would have wanted music and candles and girly shit but instead she had my filthy room, my tiny bed, I kept swearing and saying dumb shit and… I lasted like a minute."

Harry just kind of looked at me and an awkward silence filled the room and nearly suffocated me.

I was sure about to be strangled by some invisible force when Harry finally spoke, "a minute? Really?"

"Fuck. Okay it was more than a minute but it seriously wasn't long, this is so bloody embarrassing." I mumbled and dropped my face in my hands.

"Well, I don't thank that can be helped and about all the other stuff, Hermione has been in your room before, she knows it's little and always a mess. She also knows you and knows that you swear like no tomorrow and usually do so when you're trying to say how good something is."

"You're just trying to make me feel better." I mumbled, my face still hidden behind my hands.

"Yeah, pretty much." Harry said while trying to suppress his laughter.

"I hate you right now."

"No you don't, you love me remember."

That was it; we both broke into laughter probably because there was nothing else we could do. When the smell of breakfast reached my nose however, I clutched my sides and made my way to the door. Fagot male bonding, or whatever the hell that conversation was, forgotten I rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen, Harry not far behind.

* * *

><p>Hermione's POV<p>

Ginny and I were setting the table when we both heard heavy foot falls pounding down the stairs, Ron and Harry for sure. I finished placing the plates and turned to find that I had been right, Harry and Ron were both standing in the doorway, looks of bewilderment on their faces. I walked back over to the stove and started serving up bacon and toast for the two of them. I knew why they both looked so confused; there was no Molly Weasley in sight, just Ginny and I.

"Mum hasn't come down yet and we assumed everyone else would want breakfast soon," Ginny explained as she walked over to take Harry's hand.

"She hasn't woken up yet?" asked Ron, hoping that that was the reason for his mothers' absence.

I looked between Ron and Ginny, Ginny had quickly busied herself with more cooking and serving, she was definitely a miniature version of her mother and Ron was waiting for an answer that would make everything seem a little better. I couldn't give him the answer he wanted, I wasn't going to lie because that would most likely hurt him more.

"No, your mum has been up for a while, but she hasn't come down yet. We seen her moving about the landing above but she didn't come down here."

"Oh, right."

"Come eat something?" I asked. I still hadn't moved towards him, leaving him alone in the doorway and myself behind the table where I had placed plates full of food for the boys.

He moved into the room just in time to clear the path for Percy and Charlie, Ginny quickly went to get them something but I put my hand on her shoulder and turned her back towards the table, "go sit with everyone."

She didn't argue and I went about serving up breakfast for the new additions. Though everyone was digging into the food an uncomfortable silence was present, the Weasley children were not accustomed to anyone but their mother cooking in this room. Just as everyone was finishing up, Fluer and Bill arrived and offered to clean up, despite not eating anything themselves.

"Wait, Hermione you haven't eaten yet," Ron said jumping up and grabbing some toast.

He messily, spread some raspberry jam on some toast and handing it to me, then poured me some pumpkin juice and put some ice in it for me, my breakfast favourites.

"Thank you." I said and sat down to eat. I really wasn't hungry but understood he was trying to do something nice for me.

Harry and Ginny silently got up and left shortly followed by Percy and Charlie who headed out the door. Ron sat down beside me and silently waited for me to finish my two slices of toast. Fluer cleared away the dishes and once she was done, Bill and herself went out the door in the same direction as Percy and Charlie. No doubt to apperate to Hogsmead to help with Hogwarts repairs.

I was alone with Ron. Everything from last night kept replaying in my mind and I could tell he was thinking about the same thing. Hopefully he felt the same about it as I did. Elated.

"You left this morning." He said quietly.

"Ginny woke me and I went back to her room, I didn't want to get ourselves in trouble," I explained shyly.

"Makes sense. What are you doing today?"

"Nothing really, waiting to hear back from Kingsley and helping you guys with anything that needs to be done for tomorrow." I hated bring up the funeral but, it was something that couldn't be ignored.

"You don't have to do anything…if you don't want to."

"I want to help," I replied as I took his hand under the table.

"So Ginny came up this morning?" Ron said changing the subject; he obviously didn't want to think about what we were going to do tomorrow.

"Yes, with Harry," I said, while trying to hide my wince.

"He knows."

"So does Ginny."

"He won't tell anyone."

"Ginny wont either, she actually has this crazy idea that we could change rooms every night but change back early enough for no one to find out."

"But you don't want to do that?" he asked and I could sense a little hurt behind the words.

I wanted to scream, _hell yes I want to_, but was way too nervous and embarrassed to voice such thoughts. The things he made me think and feel were making me a different person, a person who didn't care about rules and proper behavior, a person who made hormonal decisions and not logical ones. Everything I have ever done, I always put a lot of thought into, weighed up the pro and cons of each action and then done what I thought was the right option.

But when it came to Ronald Weasley, I tossed the cons out the window, not matter how many of them there were and went with the most illogical and reckless decision imaginable. I think I have lost my mind.

"I want to do that." I whispered whilst tracing patterns on the wooden table.

"Great," he said, truly sounding pleased, "even if we have to go back to staying in a tent I'd prefer to stay with you."

I finally looked up at him with a smile, "you hated that tent… we all hated that tent."

"Yeah, but if it means I get to lay with you and you don't have nightmares then it'll be worth it."

I lent over and kissed him as that seemed like the most logical thing to do. No words came to mind as an appropriate response, which was another thing Ron managed to do. Completely erase my somewhat impressive vocabulary.

"Wanna walk?" Ron asked when we broke apart

"Yeah, okay."

As we weaved down the path that leads down to the orchid Ron held my hand and with his thumb traced gentle patterns on the back of my hand. The breeze was present just enough to cool the air and spread the scent of the many flowers that grew in clusters amongst the shrubs that house the gnomes. I had dreamed of spending days at The Burrow like this since I was about 13, why did the ever presence of guilt and grief have to ruin it for me now that I finally have it.

It was incredibly exhausting riding this emotional rollercoaster that I've been stuck on for days now. One minute I want to cry for too many reasons to count and then the next I'm happy because I _finally_ have Ron. I am a selfish bitch. People are dead, is brother is dead, my parents are missing, the wizarding world is in complete disarray and majority of the time I'm happy.

There must be something wrong with me.

I let go of Ron's hand and put a little more distance between us.

"Hermione?" Ron said as he looked over at me, he was trying to hide the hurt behind his eyes.

"I shouldn't feel like this," I said out loud before I realised what I was doing.

"Feel like what?" he said, now not bothering to hide the hurt.

I figured I might as well continue this conversational path I had started, "happy."

He just nodded at me.

"Everything is so messed up, everyone is so messed up, but I'm happy when I'm with you."

He looked at me a little more, I think he was deliberating with himself about wether or not to speak or not. After a moment he finally spoke, " I think we should be allowed to have something good in our lives at the moment, we deserve it."

"You don't think we're bad people?"

"Why would I think that?"

"Ron," I said a little exasperated, "everyone is grieving or helping rebuild and we… we…I mean-"

"You think you're a bad person for having sex?" he asked bluntly.

"Are we not? Should we even be thinking about it with everything else going on?" I asked desperately.

"I think… yes. Damn it, yes. We're human and I can guarantee that we are not the only ones."

"I guess your right, it's just that I can be so sad one second and then the complete opposite the next. I can't keep up."

"Come here," Ron said and pulled me into an embrace, "I think we all have had that problem, but at least we have something to feel happy about."

I looked up and him and he quickly swooped down at took my lips with his.

Something to feel happy about was an understatement and remembering Ron's words from last night about wanting to forget, I let myself get caught up in the moment.

As if I had a choice.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

He was looking at me with an expression I couldn't quite place, maybe a mixture of lust and literally hunger. I could smell him from across the room and the thought of him being anywhere near me was terrifying. I wasn't scared to die, that had been a realistic concept I had to accepted long ago however the thought of my life ending at the hands of that thing had brought my fears hurtling back full force.

I was trying to focus on Ron and Harry, they had to get out of here. I would sacrifice myself for them, they were more important, they needed to go on and finish this nightmare our lives had become. Harry had to live, had to go on, other wise we were all doomed anyway and Ron, Ron just had to live. He had a family that would miss him, I didn't, I wouldn't be missed so I could be sacrificed.

Just please make it quick, please don't let that creature have his way with me.

Why the hell is that physco so obsessed with that sword, I was just trying to wrap my head around everything going on when the boys got carted off. Ron was bleeding from the punch delivered to his face when he called out to me and I new that was going to be the last time I saw him.

My Ron.

The terror that I had felt from Greybacks glances was forgotten when I was dragged across the room by my hair and slammed into the wall. Bellatrix was in my face screaming questions about how we stole the sword. Maybe if I can stall her, Ron and Harry will have longer to get away. They have to get away.

"We found it."

"LIES!"

"W-we found it."

"Maybe this will convince you tell me the truth. CRUCIO!"

I chocked on the scream that I tried so desperately to hold back, I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of hearing my pain. However after what I'm sure to have only been seconds I couldn't help it, I let it out as if that was somehow going to ease the pain.

Maybe greyback wouldn't have been so terrible. It couldn't have been this painfull.

"It's a fake," I managed to weeze out when she let up on the curse.

This warranted a kick in the stomach before she put the curse back on me. I couldn't help but cry out in pain, I could taste vomit and knew that I was covered in tears and sweat. I was kicked again, hard enough to roll me over and I caught a glimps of Malfoy, the youngest one looking down on me.

Just watching.

"HERMIONE!"

"HERMIONE!"

Ron, I could hear him, doesn't make sense because they took him away. I let another scream when the curse intensified, I'm sure it's hurting worse than before.

"HERMIONE!"

"RON" I screamed into the floor, if I could hear him maybe he could hear me, maybe he wasn't so far away.

"I'm hear, Hermione, it's over."

"Ron?" I asked, when the pain suddenly stopped.

I focused on Ron; he was really close and smelt really good, much better than Greyback. I clung onto him and rode out the shakes and trembles that were ripping though my body. I stared up into his watering blue eyes while I tried to catch my breath and stop the tears.

It had been a dream.

I curled into him and allowed my arms to snake around his back, I held onto him so tight that it hurt my arms but I didn't want to let go.

"Hermione, take this," I lifted my head from Ron's chest and focused my eyes on Harry. He was handing me a glass of water.

I nodded in thanks and took it from him, however when I lifted it to my mouth I nearly spilled half down my front. I hadn't controlled the shakes as well as I thought I had.

"I got it," Ron mumbled and helped steady my hands.

"I got it," he then repeated to the room behind him. Maybe Harry wasn't the only one in the room with us.

I heard feet shuffling and estimated there must have been about four or five people that were leaving. Ron made himself a little more comfortable on the couch we were on, but never let his hold on me slip. As I pressed my face into his chest I silently scolded myself for falling a sleep in the first place. Last I remember Harry, Ginny, Ron and I were sitting in the living area after dinner, they boys playing wizards chest, Ginny cleaning her beloved quidditch gear and I had decided to get stuck into an old muggle romance book that once belonged to my mother.

"How long was I out for?"

"A couple of hours."

"You should have woken me up earlier, I won't sleep properly tonight now."

"I reckon we have nearly a years worth sleep to catch u on, I wasn't going to wake you for no reason."

I guess he's right.

I nodded against his chest and continued to take comfort from the steady pace of his heart and his natural aroma that I think I have always loved.

"Lets go upstairs," suggested Ron.

"Umm sure," I muttered in agreement.

"I reckon everyone would want to come back in here, so we'll go up stairs…if we don't my mum will fuss over you and I know you don't want that," he then continued.

He was right; I didn't want the extra attention I would surely get.

We walked right past Ginny's room and continued up to the next landing. When we got there Ron opened the door to his room for me and then followed me in, closing the door behind him. We both crawled into bed and I made myself comfortable using Ron's chest as my pillow, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

Would I ever get used to this? Being this close… being able to get this close. Each time he held me or kissed me it felt like the first.

"You can sleep now, I promise I won't leave, you shouldn't have any nightmares if I stay right here."

"I did before though." I said and then looked up at his face; I saw a pained expression there.

"I left…Dad wanted a hand outside with the marquee… I should have asked Harry to do it for me."

"It's not your fault, Ron, you can't be with me every minute I sleep."

"I can try. He said in a tone indicating I shouldn't argue with him about it.

He was lucky I was so exhausted and didn't have the energy to fight back and defend myself. I had always prided myself on how independent and capable I was, how I didn't need anyone to take care of me. But lying here with Ron made me realize, maybe it's not such a bad thing…having someone to take care of you. We'd been doing a lot of that the last few days, taking care of each other… the last seven years really, but more so since it all ended. Ironic really, we'd been looking out for each other for so long… Harry, Ron and I, yet since it all ended it seemed we needed more emotional support then ever.

I was beginning to drift off and felt Ron place a kiss on the top of my head and as my heart nearly beat its way out of my chest I sleepily slurred, "I love you, Ron."

"I love you too, Hermione," Ron said loud and clear before I had a random sleepy thought.

"Ron, did Kingsley write? Or the Aurors? They should have found them by now." My panic and stress was pulling me out if my sleepy state.

"Shhh, no they didn't, but it'll be okay, they'll find them, go to sleep."

"I can't sleep here again… your mum." I said, trying to explain I didn't want to get in trouble.

"You won't have proper sleep if I'm not here and I'll tell her just that if she has a problem with it."

"She does have a problem with it, she wouldn't have made the rules otherwise."

"Hermione, go to sleep, I couldn't give a shit about the rules. If I can prevent you from reliving that night in your sleep then I damn well will."

"Do you think I'm weak or there is something wrong with me? It's so real, so much worse than I nightmare."

I was extremely embarrassed about the nightmares, Harry didn't have those kinds of nightmares and he's been under the curse before. It had also been used on Luna but I never heard her have any nightmares when we were at shell cottage.

"There is nothing wrong with you and you are the strongest person I know. That bitch did horrible shit to you for a long time, the fact you remember it is actually a sick kind of relief to me." Ron said in his serious voice.

"I don't remember half of it, I passed out." I admitted quietly.

"I know, but I thank Merlin everyday for the fact that you somehow woke up… woke up still Hermione, still your brilliant self. You are not weak."

"I know I've said it before but thanks for saving me," I said, and then moved in to give him a kiss.

Once again, was I ever going to get used to the feel and taste of him? Quickly, our snogging got frantic and our hands peeled away clothes in search of flesh. I desperately wanted to get lost in a world where nothing but Ron and I existed. I ran my hands up and down his strong back and marveled at how such soft skin covered such hard muscle. Ron moved himself over me and ducked down to take my nipple into his mouth, as he licked and sucked one he moved his hand over the other… it was amazing.

I reached out and waved my wand locking the door before Ron took it out of my hand and performed the contraceptive charm. Oh my god, we were actually going to do this again. I reached down and pulled his pants down his legs as far as I could reach, he then kicked them off and got to work undoing mine.

"You'll make me forget now?" I asked.

He answered with a thrust that resulted in us joining in the most intimate of ways. He had known what I meant, I didn't want to think about my parents or the torture I had experienced.

"I didn't cast a silencing charm, can you reach your wand… its, its really hard to keep quiet," Ron whispered heavily in my ear.

"I don't know where it is, you had it last, where is yours?"

"Dunno."

Sweet baby Jesus!

"How do muggles do this?" he then panted.

I giggled then answered his question, "I'm sure they do it exactly the same way as we do."

"No," he said laughing, "how do they keep people from hearing?"

"I guess they just have to be quiet," I whispered back, while trying with all my might not to cry out.

Ron buried his face in my hair and I filled my mouth with the flesh of his shoulder as he continued to slowly move over me. His old bed was squeaking as it was but I had the sudden need to feel him plunge into me with more speed and power; I bucked my hips harder hoping he might understand… he did. Within seconds of the stronger movements I nearly lost myself, I leaned up and took his lips with mine, using his mouth to muffle the moan that erupted from my mouth. Ron didn't break the kiss and a second later I felt his groan vibrate on my lips as he also lost himself.

"Are you going to go get into some PJ's?" Ron asked me when I started to pull my clothes back on.

"No, I don't want to bump into anyone and then have to try and sneak back up here."

Or talk about the nightmare I thought to myself.

"Then why are you putting all that back on?" he asked indicating towards all my clothes.

"Incase someone walks in, Harry will come up eventually, he sleeps here too. I don't want anyone finding me naked."

"Harry won't come up, he'll see you're not in Ginny's room and figure it out."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better, Harry knowing we were just doing…what we were just doing?"

"No, I'm just saying he wont come up. I see your point about someone else coming up but surely you're uncomfortable sleeping in that."

He was right, sleeping jeans and a bra certainly wasn't comfortable.

"What if we just make sure the blanket covers you?"

"You just want me to stay naked," I said with a small smile on my face. It was my lame attempt at flirting.

"Of course I want you to stay naked," he replied also grinning at me, " lets just hide these and get you under the covers."

He unclasped my bra and began to tug on the pants I had just pulled up; I didn't fight and let him take them off. He stuffed them in one of his draws so that if someone came in they wouldn't find my clothes on the floor and crawled back into bed. It was much better, just being left in my shirt and underwear, Ron was just in boxes and it felt surprisingly intermit sleeping, literally, with him while wearing so little.

"Good night, Ron," I said on a yawn, as my previous tiredness quickly returned.

I heard Ron's good night before drifting of into a peaceful sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The next morning I found myself sitting in between Ron and Ginny, I was resting my head on Ron's shoulder and held one of his hands in my lap. Ginny was leaning in the opposite direction to myself and was in a similar position with Harry, who was on her other side. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was out the sky a pretty blue, birds snag merrily and there was a slight breeze rustling the surrounding trees.

If you could focus on these things then you wouldn't hear the quiet sobs escaping many of the people sitting behind us, you wouldn't hear Mrs Weasley breaking down a few meters along the front row, you might not even feel the silent tears falling down your own face, but there was nothing on this Earth pleasant enough to distract you from the heart wrenching speech George Weasley was currently trying to get through.

He was standing before us speaking of Fred as if he was still with us, like he was still making us laugh and smile. I guess he would eventually, one day we'll be able to think of Fred and smile and laugh remembering a prank he pulled or joke he told… I hope.

George spoke of how Fred died trying to make the world a better place, not only for the people he loved but for everyone who deserved to live and love… and laugh. He finished and moved away from the old wooden podium and silently walked back towards his parents who both stood and wrapped their arms around him before Mr. Weasley eased his wife and son into chairs.

The short plump wizard running everything was speaking again but I wasn't listening to a word of it, I looked up at Ron's face and saw the grief, saw the pain, the helplessness. I squeezed his hand to remind him I was there for him; he squeezed it back but didn't turn to look at me, instead he sat perfectly straight facing the front while silent tears fell down his face and body shook with tremors.

I hadn't realized it was all over until I noticed the lack of crying in the area, I looked around to find that most of the seats behind us were empty and that the Wizard who had orchestrated most of the... anyway he was gone. Some witches were waving their wands and making the many rows of chairs vanish into thin air so I stood and pulled Ron to his feet.

"You want to head back or stay around? I can leave if you want." I said quietly.

"I don't want you to leave, unless you want to?" he said back.

"I'm not going anywhere unless you ask me too," I replied and wiped away some of the tears he hadn't bothered with.

He nodded and we slowly moved towards the stone that now had 'Fred Weasley' carved into it, Mr Weasley and Mrs Weasley were just moving away from the area when we got close.

"I want to talk to him, I need to tell him some stuff."

"Okay, I'll just wait back here."

"No, it's okay, I don't mind if you're there."

A little confused I moved with him right up to the pretty headpiece. After several minutes Ron began to talk to his older brother.

"Hi Fred. If it's true…what everyone says, and your watching us, then you probably already know but I wanted to tell you. I finally got her," he looked at me briefly but then looked back in front of him. "I'm finally with Hermione and you're not even here to take the mickey out of me. Anyway… I kind of came here to tell you…ask you…I don't know… I was thinking about helping George with the shop. I don't even know if he has thought about working yet, but when he is ready I want to help him, even if it's just serving people and stocking shelves, I think it will make it easier for him to have someone there so he isn't working alone.

"I also need a job, I need to save some money…you see I got Hermione now," he looked up at me again, held my gaze a little longer than the last but then returned his attention to the pretty white stone. "I got Hermione, so I gotta get a job, earn some money and make her proud you know? I want her to be proud of me and I want to give her anything she wants… she deserves that…she deserves everything. I still want to be an Auror but I didn't get any NEWTS, so this is my next option until I figure out how to do something on my own. I will do something on my own."

I stood in silence and tried to take in every word Ron was saying.

"If you don't want me too work in your shop then… I don't know… tell me somehow... I guess."

That was it. He had finished and was dragging me slowly back towards the apperation point.

"I think I want to go home now," he said and I nodded.

I was just about to say something when he wrapped his arms around me and turned us on the spot, essentially spinning us into the world of nowhere.

When we landed firmly in the yard of The Burrow, I took his hand and pulled him towards the tree I thought of as ours.

"You want to work in the shop?" I asked when he sat down at the base of the tree.

"Not really, not for the long term anyway. I want to help George, I want him to keep that place… it's bloody awesome. But I want to be an Auror, I'm going to be someone you're proud of."

"Ron, I am proud of you. It doesn't matter what you do for a job."

"Yes it does," he stated, "I want to do something… be someone who matters. I feel good when I help people, I haven't done it all that much but I saved a couple of kids during the battle and that made me feel good… like a good person."

"Ron you are a good person, one of best." I said in all honesty.

"Well I'm going to continue to be, and if that means I can do it for a job all the better."

My heart clenched at the thought of Ron in more danger. However selfish it was of me I didn't want him risking his life for anyone. We got out of hell basically unscathed and now he wanted to put himself back in it everyday.

The thought of Ron not coming home from work one day was terrifying.

"It's very dangerous, Ron," I said weakly.

"I know, but I'll be doing some good, I'll be helping people who need it, I'll be making you proud and providing for us."

"P-Providing?" I asked.

"Well yeah," Ron answered, oblivious to my confused yet euphoric state. "We can't live with my parents forever, I gotta get us a home, I gotta feed us, I gotta get some money so you can by all the books you want."

Was I seriously hearing this, we were just sitting at his brothers funeral and now we're sitting here… what… planning a freaking future. This is mental, the best conversation of my life, but completely mental.

"Ron, you seem to have thought about a lot of stuff… important stuff."

"Well yeah, when everyone else was our age they finished school, got jobs and then moved out of home. We may not have finished school but we're still going to do everything everyone else did."

"I'm talking more about the part where you said _you_ gotta get _us_ a home, feed _us_, _you_ gotta get money to buy _me_ books."

He looked at me with a mixture of confusion and hurt and sadness, "do you not want to live together?"

Was he crazy?

"Of course I do, I just didn't think you'd want to yet, let alone planned half of it out."

"Why would I not want to? We've basically lived together all year, I know Harry was there but still…"

"I know," I said in understanding. It would be difficult not being under the same roof as one another after we had been for so long.

"And I don't want to sound like a pervert or nothing but it would be good being on our own… if you know what I mean… no one to walk in and shit."

I smiled and blushed at the thought of actually being alone, "yes I know what you mean."

We sat there in silence for a few minutes before I spoke again, "Ron, living together is serious… the things you are saying are serious…"

"I'm serious, Hermione. I want to be with you, I want to live with you, make a home with you, fill it with little Hermoines if that's what you want-"

"WHAT?"

"Not now, shit calm down. What I mean is… I guess… I want all that…you know, like everything… with you."

Oh my god

"No one else. Remember?"

"Yeah I remember," I said in a whisper. I wasn't trying to be quiet I just had no breath.

"I thought you wanted that too," he said once again in that tone that told me he was hiding hurt and pain.

"I do, I want it more than you can imagine." I replied and then lent over to place a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Then it's settled," he said when I pulled away, "I'm going to somehow get a job and get us a house, and then we'll make it a home."

"Not just a house, a home, it sounds… nice."

"And serious," he then added.

"Yes, very."

When we headed back to the house everyone noticed our return, no one asked questions though, just continued to speak to the many family members and friends of Fred Weasley. Ron was quickly absorbed into a crowd of red headed people and I noticed the expression on his face had returned to the one I had seen during the funeral.

I was beginning to feel a little lost and out of place when someone came and stood beside me.

"Hi Angelina," I said when I turned and noticed who it was.

"Hi Hermione," she said back and looked back in the same direction as I had been focused on.

I remembered that Angelina and Fred had once had a bit of a thing going on, I don't think it had ever been serious as Fred didn't take much of anything serious. Though whatever it was may not have serious, it went on for a while. They went to the Yule ball together and I caught them a couple of times in a broom cupboard while on prefect duties in fifth year.

I looked back at the young women beside me, she was tall, athletic, but still had very feminie features and qualities. She was one of the girls at school that my doom mates used to bitch and moan about because they secretly wanted to look or act like her. She had been good friends with Katie Bell however she was more regularly seen in the company of Fred, George and their best mate Lee Jordan.

I was just trying to find something appropriate to say when Ron emerged from the red headed crowd and called me over. I desperately wanted to go over but felt that leaving Angelina on her own would be rude, I quickly decided that I should ask her to join us, however when I simple glanced to the side she had vanished. I spun around completely and saw her retreating form heading over to the apparition point.

"What's going on?" asked Ron when he made it over to me.

"Nothing, I was just talking to Angelina."

That wasn't entirely true as there wasn't really any talking going on.

"Everyone is starting to get ready to go to Tonks and Lupins… thing," he said and took my hand.

"Okay, I'm ready to go. Are you okay Ron? You've handled everything today really well."

A little too well if you ask me.

That evening I found myself once again washing the dishes by hand. It's not as though I consciously make the decision not to use magic but at the moment it reminded me of my parents. I always helped with the dishes and the cleaning up; busying myself around the kitchen with my parents after dinner was a kind of routine.

I had been so distracted all day with the obvious I hadn't had much time to think about the fact my parents were, as far as I new, still missing. When we finally got back to The Burrow Mrs Weasley insisted that I go and relax while she made dinner, she hadn't wanted help and Ron suggested that I let her try and go back to normal. Despite my joy at seeing Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen again, having nothing to do had left my mind drifting back to my parents and why on Earth had I not been contacted yet about their location.

"They will find them, Hermione."

I spun around instinctively and went to draw my wand, however after the millisecond it took me to react I recognised the voice at the door. Ron.

"How did you know I was thinking about that?" I asked while wiping my soapy hands on a towel.

"I dunno, I could just see you were concentrating. Not concentrating like you do when you're reading or studying but a worried kind of concentration."

"I have different expressions for different types of concentration?" I asked amused at the craziness of it.

"Sometimes I think I can read you better than I can read plain English," he said as he made his way over to me.

"If that were true I don't think we would have had half the fights we've had."

"That's true."

"Why haven't we heard anything, Ron?" I know I sounded whinny and desperate but I didn't care, I hated when things didn't go to plan.

"I don't know," he said into my hair after he wrapped me in his arms.

We stood like that for what could have been eternity, I didn't want to move out from the embrace, as it felt safe and comfortable and normal. Nothing like what everything felt like when I wasn't in it.

After some time I heard Ron sniffle, his chin was resting on my head so I could see his face but I could tell he was crying. I then found the strength to step away from him to take his hand and move outside. I didn't take us to _our _tree but instead started the journey out to the orchid, when we got there I reached down and removed the beaded bag from my sock.

"Why do you have that there?"

"I didn't want anyone to see me with it and that hiding place worked last time," I answered referring to the time I stuffed it in my sock when the snatchers arrived at our tent.

"Accio tent," I then said once I placed the bag on the ground.

"What the…"

"Shhh, go put up the protection we used all year."

"Hermione, what on Earth are you doing?"

"Just do it okay, I'll explain once we're done."

I had the idea sometime between leaving for the Tonks home and before the funeral began. The moment we had returned home I quickly went upstairs and grabbed the bag, grateful I hadn't bothered to unpack it properly yet. Ron obviously didn't want anyone to see his emotions, so I figured what better way to get some privacy than hiding the same way we had while hiding from the entire world.

I erected the tent and made my way inside shortly followed by Ron, before he could say anything I explained, "you don't want anyone to see you upset, so out here…in here…"

He pulled me into an embrace so tight I could barely breath and after a moment we moved towards one of the tiny beds. I lay down with him and he rested his head on my chest, as he let silent tears soak my shirt I ran my finger through his hair and concentrated on him. If I thought about nothing but Ron I wouldn't think about Fred or my parents, so I continued to run my fingers through is orange hair and concentrate on is hands holding onto me, and the toned arms that wrapped around me.

I was just beginning to drift off with thoughts of laying like this with Ron in a bigger bed, a different room…_our_ bed, _our_ bedroom, when I heard noises coming from outside.

"Ron… Hermione!"

Shit, I thought and then had to suppress the smile that tried to form on my lips. Ron would be so proud if he new how often I mentally cursed.

"Ron…Ron, wake up."

"No, this is comfy," he mumbled and tried to snuggle in closer to me.

Dear god, why did he have to make this so hard.

"Ron, people are looking for us, it's getting late and they are probably worried."

"Ron! Hermione! Are you out here?"

"That's just Harry," Ron said, more awake than a moment ago, "he won't care we're out here."

"Yeah, but I don't reckon he'll be the only one looking for us. Your parents would have noticed we had disappeared."

"Fine."

"Herm-, oh there you guys are," Harry said when we walked out of the protective charms. It would have looked like we appeared from thin air.

"What do you want?" Ron said clearly agitated.

"Mate, everyone is looking for you. Wait… you… were you just hiding I the tent?" he asked when he noticed I was holding my beaded bag.

"Yes, we were," I started, "we just wanted to get away for a bit."

"Jesus Christ, were you –"

"NO!" I practically screamed, realising what he was going to say.

He then looked at Ron, who had turned bright red, searching for confirmation.

"I was upset mate, I wanted to be alone… didn't want anyone to see."

Harry nodded in understanding, he new what it was like to just get away from people.

We walked back to the house and once we finished apologising to Mrs Weasley for disappearing we headed up for bed.

"Where is Ginny?" asked Ron when we got to her room.

"Right here," Ginny said appearing through the bathroom door.

She took Harry's hand and began to drag him up the stairs, "lets go to bed."

"Wait, your bed is down here," Ron said in a harsh whisper.

She came back towards us, "look, here's the plan, if you and Hermione get to sleep together so do Harry and I. Ron, I figure we should be the ones doing the sneaking because if we get caught I don't Harry and Hermione having to explain why they snuck out. I can handle getting roasted my mum, I'd prefer that than Harry and Hermione coping it."

Ron didn't look impressed but I think he agreed on the taking the blame attitude Ginny had. Without saying a word he cast his gaze to Harry, held it for a moment, then turned and pulled me into Ginny's room.

* * *

><p>AN: Just would like to thank everyone again for reading and reviewing. Every review makes me want to get right back into writing more. Sorry this took longer than usual, i'll try not to let that happen again. :0/


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The moment the door was close I found myself pinned against it by Ron's body, Ron's large, strong, warm body. I responded without a second thought by wrapping my arms around his neck and feeding my fingers through his soft, thick hair. His lips tasted like sweet candy and as our tongues battled it out, I thought to myself, I could never have enough of it.

Ron had his hands under my shirt and I wished he would just remove it to make this easier. I didn't yet have the confidence to remove my own clothes first, that action felt entirely to bold. Instead I opted for sliding my hands up under his shirt and exploring the vast amount of skin over taught muscle.

Ron pulled his lips away from mine and began to trail them down my neck. I rolled my head back to rest against the door to allow him better access and to try and get my breath back. I silently thanked Merlin when he got to work on the buttons down my blouse and gave me the opportunity to lift his shirt from his, in my opinion, perfect body.

Once free of shirts I brought his face back to mine and reclaimed his lips. This time however they didn't taste so sweet, they were salty.

Pulling back, I looked him in the eyes and noticed the moister in them. The fact I had not realised he had been crying was like a knife in the stomach, but realising now was not the time to be pissed at my own ignorance, I searched my brain for something to say.

This turned out to be quite difficult as it was still half mush, thus Ron found words before me.

"Do you not want to?"

I saw the hurt and confusion intensify and realised that my pulling away from him had caused that. I waited a moment before responding, thinking about my answer. God, I wanted to. How he didn't know that was absurdly arousing, yet somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear a voice telling me how inappropriate the time and situation was.

He was grieving and not in the right state of mind to be making these kinds of decisions. He was using me as a distraction and it wasn't the first time. Hell, I had used him as a distraction, hadn't I?

Looking into his beautiful blue eyes, I came to the conclusion that as I could not bring his brother back and I had no experience what so ever in helping anyone deal with such a loss, I would do whatever possible to dry those eyes and put some light back into them.

Despite knowing that my solution was not a long-term fix I reached for my wand and locked the door. I cast a silencing spell over the room and latched my lips back to Ron's, moving him with my body away from the door and in the general direction of my bed.

We tumbled down onto the low camper bed in a mess of tangled limbs and began pealing each others clothes away. For the first time, I cast the necessary spells over us and then discarded my wand as if it was nothing more than an annoying fly. I was hovering over him and like a slap to the face I realised that we had not been in this position before. I was unsure of what to do… how to do it… should I move off of him so that our positions were reversed?

I quickly scrapped that idea; knowing that asking or suggesting in any way we change positions would be embarrassing. I looked down and noticed that all traces of tears were long gone and my confidence boosted just enough to urge me to shift myself over his hardness.

I mustn't have disguised my nervousness as well as I thought because he asked, "Hermione, is this going to be okay?"

I nodded and then said, "just umm… can we go slow…I don't know…"

He leaned up and kissed me, saving me from my stupid attempt at explaining I had no idea what I was doing, he then held himself as I slowly lowered myself over him.

My god!

I discovered that I had been incredibly wrong the first time we made love; I thought he was big then. In this position I swear he felt twice that size.

Ron's hands moved to my hips but he stayed as motionless as a statue. I was frozen in place, I was adjusting and completely at a loss of what to do…how to move. I could see on his face that it felt good for him and he was using a great deal of self-control not to buck his hips.

I felt a kind of power rise up in me at the realisation that I had the control in this situation. Once adjusted to the feeling of having him so deep, the pleasure started to build and I began to move without thought.

This position allowed him to put his hands all over me while I rocked us slowly. However when he lent up and got to work on my breast with his tongue I felt as though I might explode. I began to pump my hips faster and harder unable to control the gasps and moans that kept escaping my lips.

I didn't think it was possible but I swear I felt Ron get harder and larger, the sounds he was making while he licked and sucked my nipple were undeniable encouraging and caused me to rock us both to climax.

Later that night I lay in my bed with Ron's arms wrapped around me, his light snores in my ear and his heavy breathing moving stray hairs into my face. As I felt my eyes grow heavy I wondered if I could somehow keep his eyes dry forever.

* * *

><p>I woke the next morning to a tingling sensation down my neck. It only took a brief moment for me to completely wake up and realise that it was being caused my Ron's lips.<p>

"Morning."

"Morning."

"Did you sleep well?" I asked.

"Yep, slept solid, right through the night."

"That's good," I had been a little worried how he would sleep after the depressing day we had had.

"We should get up and get dressed, don't want mum finding us."

I didn't even reply, just launched out of bed and began searching for clothes. How could I have been so stupid to have not set an alarm or something? My god, Mrs Weasley could walk in any second looking for Ginny and I.

After pulling on a skirt and singlet I turned around to find Ron in fresh pants and shirt, "Where did you get them from?"

"I found a stash of my things here in the corner, Ginny must have sorted it out as part of her grand plan."

I nodded in understanding, that girl was a devious genius.

"I'll walk down stairs first, you should probably wait a few minutes before coming down," he suggested.

"Yeah, that's fine. I was going to go to the bathroom first anyway and fix my hair and stuff."

He nodded, gave me a searing kiss that was, in my opinion, way to short and walked out the door. After catching my breath and waiting for the lingering sensation of Ron's lips on mine to pass, I gathered my toiletries and headed for the bathroom.

Once I had rinsed my face, and brushed my hair and teeth, I felt much more human, in fact I felt amazing. I certainly wasn't perfect but my body felt great, there were no muscle aches or tenderness and my cuts and bruises were officially gone, once again I marvelled at how magic could heal. I felt… limber, relaxed… yet energised, I felt good. Now all I needed was to find my parents and life should be well on its way to great.

I walked down the stairs and found a good portion of the Weasley family in the kitchen. Ron, Mr Weasley, Charlie, Percy, Harry and Ginny were all seated at the table and Mrs Wealey was at the stove cooking. It looked as though things were going to start getting back to normal, that thought was such a relief. I loved everyone in this room and wanted nothing more than for their lives to go back as close as possible to what it had been.

I walked in and exchanged many 'good mornings' before sitting down beside Ron. He looked anxious, which confused me, as he had seemed in high spirits when we parted only minutes before.

"Ron, is everything okay?" I said quietly so the entire room didn't hear.

"Yeah, I'm fine… a letter arrived for you a few minutes ago."

I reached out and took it from his extended hand with enthusiasm, it wasn't until I unravelled the parchment and saw my name at the top in what I now recognised as Kinsley's handwriting did I begin to feel nervous.

More like absolute panic and terror, I then admitted to myself.

"What does it say? Have they been located?" Ron asked.

"I don't know, I haven't read it yet."

'What? You've been staring at it for like, two minutes."

Had it been that long?

"Hermione, are you okay? Do you want me to read it?"

I silently handed Ron the letter thinking that was probably a better idea. I'd prefer to hear the news from Ron than anyone else. I also realised we had gained the attention of everyone else in the room, which was absolutely terrible. I was reacting badly enough as it was and I hadn't even read the bloody letter, let alone how I might once I've heard the news.

"Hermione," I heard Ron's voice, "everything is going to be fine, they found them, they are in a city called Brisbane and the ministry is organising a portkey for us. It's the middle of the night over there so by the time the portkey has been arranged it will be a better time to get there."

"They're okay?"

"That's what it says here." Ron indicated to the letter.

I let out the breath I had been holding and felt tears swell up in my eyes. They were okay, they were alive and safe. I let Ron wrap his arms around me and took comfort from his words; I had totally forgotten we had company until Mr Weasley spoke.

"What do you mean 'a portkey for _us'_?"

"Hermione isn't going alone." Ron replied as if it was obvious.

"I know that, Kingsley told me he had Aurors waiting to go with her."

"I don't need the Aurors," I said, "I can take care of myself."

"We know you can darling, but there are people out there who want to cause you harm," Mrs Weasley began, "we've got you back safe, after everything I don't want to risk anything happening now."

"Mum, I understand that, but Hermione is more capable than almost anyone, she doesn't need random Aurors following her around."

"I know Hermione is capable, son. That's why I'm asking you why you said 'a portkey for _us_'. Mr Weasley said.

"Because I'm going with her."

"You just said she doesn't need help."

Sick of everyone talking as though I wasn't sitting right there I finally spoke, "I will need help…. Just not from the Aurors."

"What's that supposed to mean sweetheart?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"It's going to be really difficult to see them again, explain what I did to them. I'll need Ron."

"It's-"

"Give it up, both of you." Ron shouted, "I'm going with Hermione to get her parents. We are of age and it's Hermione's decision who she wants to go with her. She wants me to go, so I'm going."

"Don't speak to us I that tone, Ronald."

"Mr and Mrs Weasley," I began trying to defuse the situation, "the Aurors can come, I don't care, it's a little insulting that people don't think I'm able to defend myself after everything we've been through but if that makes people happy, fine. But I need Ron to be there. If things don't go as planned and my parents don't remember me or worse hate me for what I've done, I'm going to need someone other than, as Ron put it, Random Aurors."

A silence filled the room and it didn't take long for Harry, Ginny, Percy and Charlie to file out of the kitchen.

"I don't like it," stated Mrs Weasley.

"You don't have to," Ron replied simply and firmly.

"It's not proper."

"Like anything in the last few years has been proper," Ron said in the same firm tone, "We've been travelling and sleeping in the same room for close to a year."

"We didn't like that either, son," Mr Weasley added.

"Well sorry, but there was no other way," Ron's temper was tittering on the edge, "just as there is no other way now. We should be back in a day or two, three at the most."

"That isn't very long."

"No it's not, that was the point of the Aurors tracking them down before we left," I tried to explain without offending anyone and making the situation more tense. "All we need to do is go to them, reverse the spells, explain everything and come home. Though I imagine my parents may need to stay a little longer and sort out all their belongings."

"If you are gone any longer than three days-"

"We won't be," I assured before I could hear the consequences.

* * *

><p>It was after dinner when Ron and I headed of to the ministry, it had been one of the longest days of my life and I was grateful that I finally had something to do. Ron and I walked to Kingsley's office hand in hand, I had my beaded bag with me and Ron had the money Harry had insisted we take. Though eager to get to the portkey, I was nervous and it wasn't until we reached the closed doors that my nerves turned into more and I wanted to be ill again.<p>

"Come in," called the familiar voice a moment after Ron had knocked.

As we made our way inside his office, I remembered that the admin who had been out the front previously was not there. I felt awful, now that I was aware of how late it was and that Kingsley had obviously waited around purely for Ron and I.

"Thank you for staying so late for us," I said before taking a seat in front of Kingsley.

"It's no trouble at all, Hermione. Besides I've had plenty to keep me busy."

That didn't make me feel any better.

"Okay, so we don't have long before your portkey is ready to take you," he indicated to the ancient looking textbook on his desk. "It will take you directly to the Department of International Communication and Travel, where you will be met by a member of said department and by the Aurors who tracked down your family. They will then take you to where they know your parents are and then wait for you to tell them everything is under control. When you are ready to come home, simply return to the Department of International Communication and Travel and they will arrange your return. They can also arrange the return of your parents if they wish to travel via magical methods."

"I can't thank you enough for all of this Kingsley," I said honestly.

"Hermione, you don't need to thank me, it was a pleasure. Now quick hold on to that book, it's began to glow, you've got about 15 seconds. Good by and good luck."

Despite having travelled via a portkey a number of times I still wasn't used to the sensation, I doubt I ever would. Most people preferred it to apperating but I much preferred the squeezing sensation to the spinning out of control one.

I had also never travelled such a distance with magical methods and this was definitely the worst portkey experience I had ever had. When I felt firm ground below my feet I opened my eyes and nearly tripped over due to my head still spinning a million miles an hour. I felt a warm hand, grip near my elbow to steady me and I fleetingly wondered how Ron could be holding me up and not dizzy himself, however I quickly realised that it was not Ron holding on to me. I new what Ron's hands felt like and the hand currently wrapped around my bicep did not belong to Ron Weasley.

I finally managed to focus on the desk in front of me and the room began to come to a stop, looking up I made eye contact with an attractive face that I recognised.

"Steady there, Miss Granger. Would you like some water?"

"No thank you," I mumbled and pulled my arm out of his grasp. I no longer needed or wanted him holding on to me.

"You have got to be kidding me." I heard the anger and frustration in Ron's voice and prayed we could get out of here before he completely lost his cool.

"Miss Granger this is Minister Fowler." Auror Holmes continued as if Ron had not been present in the room.

The Minister stood from behind his elegant mahogany desk and reached out a hand to Ron and I.

Ron moved in front of Auror Holmes and returned the greeting, "nice to met you sir."

"Now, I don't wish to keep you waiting, so we'll get down to it. Miss Granger your family are in the south of Brisbane, as we are currently in Melbourne you will once again need to travel via portkey to Queensland as it would take you sometime to travel as a muggle."

Not another portkey.

"Once you have arrived, the Aurors will take you to where we know your parents are located and wait for you to contact them regarding travelling back. Any questions?"

"No sir."

"I have one," Ron began, and when Minister Fowler gave a nod of approval he continued, "is it necessary for the Aurors to wait around for us? I'm sure with the help of Mr and Mrs Granger we will be able to organise ourselves."

"I recommend that they stay, if only for the worst circumstance that Mr and Mrs Granger do not regain their memory. I wouldn't want you two to be stranded in an unfamiliar environment."

Like we haven't been in that situation before.

"Hermione is brilliant, she'll get her parents back to normal. Plus we can take care of ourselves."

"Mr Weasley, I have no doubt of that, however I am a very thorough man and have no desire to risk the chance of having you two alone some 2000km away. I also assured your minister that I would ensure your safety. I'm sorry if it offends you but I will not disappoint in that area."

"It's not offensive sir, thank you for everything you have done for me." I said and gave Ron a look that was supposed to communicate that we should just drop it.

"It is not a problem, your Minister has explained to me what you, Mr Wealsey and Mr Potter have done, and even over here we are aware of Voldemort and are grateful for the sacrifices you made."

I nodded and blushed unsure of how to respond, the awkwardness however was short lived because a moment later, an unknown auror also in the room suggested we get a move on as the portkey was due to leave within the minute.

Ron and I grabbed onto the book that the auror was holding out to us before Auror Holmes reached in between us to take his own hold. The guy seriously had an issue with Ron and I was beginning to believe he thought himself better than Merlin himself.

When we landed in a small street in what appeared to be a regular neighbourhood, I once again felt Auror Holmes hands on me. God, did he really think I was incapable of standing on my own two feet?

As I pulled away roughly, Ron said, "you need to keep your hands to yourself."

"I was only being a gentleman, Miss Granger deserves to have someone watching her back."

"Watching is not all you seem to be doing." I said shortly, trying to let him know I don't appreciate all the physical contact.

He gave me a nod and began to move swiftly down the street, I could hear him mumbling something but didn't give it much thought. My mind was currently occupied with the fact that I was about to see my parents again.

The Aurors led us through some quiet street and eventually stopped on a corner that had a little park consisting of a few swings and slide and some monkey bars.

"Please wait here just a moment and I'll be back." the auror that I never caught the name of said, before apperating away.

Moments later he reappeared holding what appeared to be pizza's and soft drink, "your parents have been residing at number 10 Simon St, take this and use it as an excuse to be knocking on the door." Holmes stated and pointed down the street, "we will wait here until you return."

Ron took the pizza and we slowly headed past the few houses that separated the park from number 10.

"I'll pretend to be delivering this," Ron began, "while I have them distracted you can do what you gotta do."

I was shaking with a mixture of nerves, excitement and fear, Ron must have sensed this because when we stopped at the door he lent down gave me a kiss and reminded me that I was brilliant, "You got this Hermione and I'm here for you."

I stepped out of the doorway and Ron knocked on the door.

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><p><strong>AN: sorry if there are loads of typos and errors, I tried to get this out in a bit of a rush as i have been really slack lately and haven't been giving this the time i would have like to. **

**I am also still in search of a Beta if anyone is interested or knows of someone. Thanks for reading :0)**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Ron's POV

The women standing in front of me looked absolutely nothing like Hermione, she had blond hair that was lucky too reach her shoulders and it sat perfectly straight and smooth. Her eyes were a dark shade of blue that easily grabbed your attention as they were on a face of smooth, immaculate, pale skin, her lips were finer than Hermione's and looked no where near as tempting. They did however move.

"I'm sorry, I didn't order anything."

"Is this not number 10?" I asked hoping that I wouldn't have to make conversation for too long. I had no idea how this delivery thing really worked.

"Well, yes it is, but I didn't order any pizza." She was confused but remained polite, just as Hermione would have.

"And, am I on Simon Street? Sorry, I'm a little new to the area, maybe I have the wrong street?"

"No, no, this is number 10 Simon Street, but there must be a mistake, I didn't order any pizza."

Hurry up Hermione, I'm totally lost with what I'm supposed to be doing.

"That's strange, are you sure there is no one else here at the moment that may have ordered anything?"

"Well, my husband… but he wouldn't have just ordered… I would have fixed something up… umm-"

"Maybe you should go ask him."

"Ask me what?" came a man's voice from somewhere within the house.

"Honey, you didn't order any pizza, did you?" Hermione's mum asked as she turned her back on me.

The moment her back was turned Hermione stood out from behind the pillar beside the entrance and pointed her wand at her mother. She was mumbling quietly and I couldn't make out what she was saying, what ever it was however was working because Mrs Granger had turned back around and was looking straight at us with a completely blank look, her mouth was slack and her eyes were glazed over.

"What on Earth-" Mr Granger stopped mid sentence when he reached the doorway and Hermione began the same process on him.

After a moment Hermione lowered her wand and stared directly at her parents, who still looked all docile and lifeless in the doorway. It took another moment before their eyes began to clear and they both moved into a more alert stance.

After several seconds of blinking Mrs Granger finally spoke, "Hemione, is that you?"

"Mum…" Hermione's voice was thick and she was unable to say anything more. I looked over and saw tears freely falling from her beautiful eyes, unlike the other times I had seen her cry though, she had a small smile on her face.

"What is going on? I don't feel that good." Hermione's dad was coming around.

"Ron… it is Ron isn't it? Pizza… you were delivering pizza… I didn't recognise you, why didn't you tell me… I'm so confused." Hermione's mum was rambling and she was beginning to turn a deathly pale colour that, to me, indicated she was about to faint.

I reached out and caught her as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she began to tumble to the floor.

"Oh my god." Mr Granger said, but was still too shaky himself, to do much of anything.

"Lets get her inside and on the couch." I suggested and moved in without actually being given permission. Hermione was still silent and hadn't uttered a single sound other that her chocked out 'mum' from earlier.

"Umm, maybe we should get a wet towel or some water for her," I said as I lay Hermione's mother on the couch. She was coming to already.

Hermione rushed off in search, as her father seemed rooted to the spot over his wife. When she returned she placed the cloth she had over her mothers forehead and held out the glass of water waiting for her mother to take it.

"I feel so strange, what on Earth is going on…. I must have dozed of and had the strangest dream… Australia… Monica? Jean?" Mr Granger said looking down at his wife before continuing, "Hermione, you weren't in the dream… packed up house-"

"Dad, maybe you should sit." Her voice was weak but I was so glad to finally hear it, I was getting worried with her lack of speech. Hermione always had something to say.

"You look different for some reason." Hermione's mum said looking at her daughter with complete and utter confusion, "older and thinner…unhappy."

At Hermione's sheepish look, one that I assumed was also on my face, Mr Granger seemed to register that he and his wife were the only confused ones in the room, "Hermione, explain why I'm in a strange house, yet it feels like home. Explain, why I have to keep reminding myself that my wife's name is Jean, not Moinca. Why I keep thing of myself as Wendell and for some reason I think we are in Australia."

"Dad, maybe you should sit down."

"I think I'd rather stand." he wasn't trying to hide his anger now and it terrified me how much he looked like his daughter.

His hair was exactly the same as Hermione's, if you added about 12 inches and removed the grey patches around the sides. It was thick and though short, you could tell it was uncontrollable. His eyes that had taken on that same terrifying blaze that Hermione's did when she was furious and behind the anger I could see the familiar chocolate colour that reminded me of a melted chocolate frog after it had been stashed in your pocket too long.

The freckles that dusted over Hermione's nose had also come from her father, though I doubt he looked as cute when said nose was scrunched up in concentration.

Cute? Did I really just bloody think that?

Anyway, it seemed that the only physical gene Mr Granger had not past onto Hermione, thankfully, was his size. This bloke was big.

Not fat, but big, scary and intimidatingly big. He was just as tall as I was, admittedly that was rare, but instead of the lanky and gangling limbs that I had, his were as thick and muscled as a bloody troll fighter.

I'd rather try and placate the Death Eaters after their _Dark Lord_ was defeated.

"Umm, ok," Hermione finally said, "well you see, it wasn't a dream, what I mean is that you are in Australia and you did think your names were Monica and Wendell. And I do look different… and older… about a year older." At their silence Hermione decided to continue, "I changed your memories so that you thought yourselves to be Wendell and Monica Wilkins, I changed them so you thought you wanted to live in Australia and I changed them so that you… didn't know anything about me."

"Y-You used…m-magic, on us?" her mother quietly stuttered.

Hermione only nodded and I could see the shame and guilt in her expression. I pissed me off.

"She had to… to save your lives."

"That sounds a little over dramatic Mr Weasley." Mr Grangers voice was as cold as ice.

"All due respect sir, it's the truth."

"Ron, pleas-" Hermione began but her mother was not on her feet and rounded on Hermione.

"How dare you use that wand on us."

"But mu-"

"Don't _but Mum_ me, you used that wand on us, you changed our lives to suit _you_."

"No, that's not-"

"You took our choices away."

'No, you still made your own decisions, just with a slightly different memory."

"SLIGHTLY!" Mr Granger boomed, "Different names, different country, different family is not _slightly._ We should never have sent you to that school."

"Dad-" Hermione began but was again cut off.

"Why are you here? Why change us back."

"It's safe again." Hermione's voice weak and broken.

Mrs Granger was shaking her head and wiping her hands over her face while mumbling, "I remember everything, its like I'm two different people. I have two different lives."

Hermione stood between her mother and father, tears still running down her face but this time there was no smile. There was barely and expression at all… no anger, no sadness, frustration, nothing. She stood there looking just as blank as her parents had seconds before their real memories returned.

Mr and Mrs Granger, please let us explain, everything-" I tried since Hermione seemed as though she didn't know what to say.

"_You_ won't be explaining anything, in fact I think you should leave-"

"No!" Hermione said quietly but forcefully.

The terrifying expression Mr Granger cast in his daughters direction had me instinctively moving closer to her and putting my arm around her.

"Dad, Ron is here to help."

"Help! Help us what? Be us again?"

"I can't believe you changed us." Mrs Grangers voice was filled with pain, yet it scared the shit out of me. "You did things to us without permission, I feel violated… maybe you should leave too Hermione."

"B-But…mum…d-dad"

"Hermione, I think you should leave, your mother and I need to figure this out."

"You wouldn't have to figure it out if you let her explain," I said loudly and rudely.

How the fuck could they just send her away.

"This is none of you damn business, I asked you to leave several minutes ago."

I was readying myself to defend Hermione again when she did the last thing I expected. She turned on her heal, hung her head and moved swiftly out the door.

What the fuck!

I cast her parents what I hoped to be a furious glance and chased Hermione out the door. Hermione didn't just silently walk away from anything, she yelled, out smarted, and then held her head up high when she walked away. And she only ever walked away when she had gotten in the last word. She didn't just give up.

I should know all this as I have been in countless arguments with her.

"Hermione, wait up." I called out

She stopped but didn't turn around or lift her head. When I caught up and grabber her hand she began walking again as if I wasn't even there.

"Hermione, just stop a second… maybe you should go back, I can wait outside if me being there upsets them."

"_Me_ being there upsets them too." She said through sobs.

"They're probably just in shock, it's gotta be strange in that situation, they probably just need a few minutes to calm down."

"Ron, I know my parents…they h-hate me. I've never seen them look at anybody like they just looked at me. L-like I'm a freak, like they're ashamed of me."

"Your parents love you," who couldn't? I thought to myself, "I think we should go sit down somewhere and give them some time, then you can try again."

"I just want to go home, they don't want me here, I don't want to upset them even more."

For fuck sake, I hate seeing her this sad, I want to punch them in the face for doing this to her.

"Home? Home as in The Burrow?"

"I guess, I don't know where else I'd go."

When we got to the park, that fuck bag Holmes stood and made his way towards us, "Miss Granger, what is the matter? Do you need my assistance? Do your parents-"

"Would you shut the fuck up!" I seriously hated this guy, "If Hermione wanted your help then she would have asked for it."

"Miss Granger, would you like me-"

"Are you deaf?" she asked in a sickly polite tone.

"No."

"Stupid?"

"Miss Granger?"

"Sorry, I had to ask as you seem unable to ever understand a word that comes out of Ron's mouth."

"I, ah… Miss-"

"Stop calling me _Miss Granger_ like I'm your bloody first year professor and listen to Ron… Shut the fuck up." Hermione finished in that sweet tone before continuing towards our apperation point.

Holy. Fucking. Shit. Hermione just swore… at someone.

It didn't take us long to get home, Hermione was rushing and was clearly not in the mood for any distractions. I didn't actually know how to feel, probably because I was feeling so many things at once… bloody confusing really; I was pissed at Holmes yet stunned at Hermione's reaction to the asshole, I was fucking furious at her parents, but was unsure how to even mention them to her, I was kinda happy that she thought of The Burrow when she thought of home and somewhere amongst all that I was sad… I was sad because Hermione was… this shit is fucked up.

The portkey that the Australian Ministry had arranged for us had only taken an hour to organise and it took us directly to The Burrow. When we landed just outside the boundaries it took us both a minute to let our heads stop spinning and it then took another moment for me to realise why the sun was just coming up.

"This time zone thing you explained to me is confusing." I said and began to walk into the house, when she didn't respond at all I asked, "Are you getting tired? Do you want to lay down?"

She nodded and moved towards the staircase in silence, we reached Ginny's room first and found it empty, assuming that Ginny was in my room with Harry we moved in and I pulled the sheets back for Hermione.

She sat down, back straight as a pole and feet planted firmly on the floor, this made me realise she probably wasn't tired. But she looked exhausted so I began to search through the pile of washing on her trunk and pulled out her pyjamas.

"You'll probably be more comfy in these." I said holding out the little yellow and blue pieces of cloth.

"Thank you." she finally replied after several moments and took her clothes from my hands.

"I'll go out in the landing while you get changed, just let me know if you want me to come back in."

"Don't go out there."

"Umm, ok… I'll just turn around."

"Ron?"

"Yes?"

"Come here." She said quietly while reaching her arms out towards me.

I sat down beside her with all intentions of simply wrapping my arms around her; she however had other plans that seriously through me off. The second I was seated on the bed Hermione moved so that she was straddling me while her mouth began assaulting mine.

She was so fucking soft and smooth, her tiny little body was grinding down on me and her tongue was doing amazing things to my mouth. I was instantly rock hard and wanted nothing more than to remove the clothes that were between us. I had only just let that thought cross my mind when I felt Hermione's hands between us undoing my pants. I rolled her over so that I could kick my pants off and get to work on hers, but she had already gotten them down around her ankles by the time I was pulling mine of.

Holy shit she was quick.

She then reached up and roughly pulled my shirt over my head and crashed her lips back down to mine, I had never been so hard in my life and hoped that this new, daring side to Hermione wasn't going to go anywhere in the near future.

I slid my hands up her top and in one swift motion pulled it over her head. I began sucking on her fan-fucking-tastic tits as she began the necessary spells and I wondered where on earth she grabbed the wand from, as I had no idea where mine had ended up.

That's right, it's over on her trunk, I must have left it there when I….Fuck, Fuck… FUCK!

I, with impressive will power, pulled away from Hermione and rolled off of her, when she rolled with me so that she was on top I once again used a great deal of mental strength to physically hold her away from my throbbing dick.

"Hermione, what? I mean, we shouldn't… you were just crying… your parents… why are you… bloody hell, I don't know what I'm trying to say." I mumbled between trying to catch my breath.

"Do you not want too?" she asked all innocently. How the hell was that even possible when she was naked hovering over me?

"Hell yes, I want to." I said indicating down to my hard on. She blushed and that build in innocence she had punched me in the gut.

God I was a wanker. After everything that had just happened in Australia with her parents the last thing that she should want is sex, but then why did she basically jump me the first chance she got?

I must have had that stupid expression I get when I'm thinking to myself about something Hermione has said, because she had figured it out and beginning to explain.

"When you didn't want to think about Fred we had sex, I took your mind off all the bad stuff."

Was she saying what I think she is?

"So you want me to take your mind of your parents?"

Hermione nodded.

"We do this sort of thing an awful lot Hermione, it's probably not right."

"You don't think having sex with me is _right_?" she whispered and moved off of me.

Was she crazy?

"Off course it's right, you and me are perfect… I just mean… I don't want to take advantage of you."

For once I actually said what I meant and didn't fuck it up.

"You're not, I think of it as helping each other… in a way no one else can."

I guess she was right, hell, she is always right, we weren't taking advantage of each other, and we were making ourselves happy. I thought about it another second and realised I had no fucking idea to make the situation with her parents better or how to make her feel better about it… if sex was what she wanted then I sure as hell was going to give it to her. With that thought I grabbed her hand and pulled her down on top of me.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Hi everyone, i'm terribly sorry this took so long, i don't really have an excuse so i'm not going to feed you some stupid reason. I did however slightly rush this chapter but i did try and make it a relatively decent length for you.

Also, still searching for a beta, please let me know if you are interested or know of someone who would be.

Thanks, hope you like.

* * *

><p>Chapter 18<p>

I didn't mind the numb sensation that had essentially taken over my body, in fact I was quite happy to remain in this state for the foreseeable future if it meant I no longer felt as though I had a dozen knives buried in my chest. I realise that going about my day this way is not exactly healthy, however, I believe that it will pass just as the sharp stabbing sensation had.

And whatever came after this numbness I would deal with it when it came.

All I had to do was keep busy, if I kept busy I wouldn't have the time to think about_ them_ or remember the words they had spoken with distrust and shame. And it wasn't as though I was running short of things to do, I had finally unpacked my beaded bag and cleaned, washed, returned and organised every little thing that had been stashed in there over the last year. From this task had sprung the idea to clean and organise the boys' room. As I had cleaned and washed their clothes and other various items I saw no sense in returning them to a pigsty of a room, thus their room was stripped, cleaned and put back together with all of their things in a sensible and practical order.

When Harry went to spend time with Teddy I went along to help Mrs Tonks with her gardens as it was something that she no longer had a great deal of time for now that she had Teddy.

When Mrs Weasley needed some chore crossed of her list I volunteered, however after a while she told me she had nothing left for me to do. This, I did not entirely believe as she always had stuff that needed doing, but as I can relate to just trying to keep busy, I let her go about her work alone.

I even spent half a day with Mr Weasley going through a mound of muggle devices, helping identify their name and purpose. My favourite was the stapler, when I simply stapled his many sheets of parchment together his delight at the convenience of having such things bound together was truly hilarious.

I did attempt to watch Ron, Harry and Ginny play some quidditch, however this allowed me too much thinking time, so instead I headed into the tiny shed that held all their brooms and other quidditch accessories and cleaned and organised them. The place gleamed for the first time in living memory.

I listened and absorbed every word that Kingsley and Professor McGonagall spoke when they gave us options for our futures. Kingsley offered all three of us a number of jobs at the ministry despite not having any NEWTS, this pleased the boys immensely and I tried to return the smile Ron sent me when Kingsley said he would be happy to have him start in the Auror training program.

McGonagall explained that if we wanted to attend Hogwarts when it reopened to do our seventh year she would be glad to have us back. If we didn't want to do an entire year we were also given the choice of just sitting the exams. These would be held in January as to give us a few months preparation; she pressed the point on the importance of NEWTS as they were required for a number of jobs that Kingsley was not offering as well as jobs outside the Ministry.

After they had left there had been hours of discussion between everyone in the house. Everyone wanted us to hear their opinion on what they think we should do, there was also a never-ending stream of questions they would ask, plus I had Ginny in my ear raving on about how cool it would be to be in the same year as me.

The last few days had definitely not been slow or boring.

Every second we were alone Ron kept trying to talk to me about mum and dad, but as that was something I didn't want to think about I quickly either found some mundane task to do or gave his mouth something to do other than talk. Since I was clearly not going to discuss the topic I assume Ron and Harry have been behind my back. I gather this because every time I walk into a room occupying just the two of them a brief, awkward silence fills the room before either Harry or Ron pick up some conversation about quidditch, Auror training or Hogwarts.

Do they really think I haven't noticed?

Another thing I have noticed is that Ron seems to disappear for times when I have distracted myself with some unexciting task. It's not as though I need him about 24/7 or that he has to tell me everything he does, it's just that he _has_ always been there and he _has_ always told where he was going or what he was doing. I also hadn't realised up until now how aware of him I have always been. I've never really thought about it, but if someone had come to me in the past and asked what Ron was going or where he was I would have had an answer.

I was not going to ask and risk coming across as some overbearing, annoying girlfriend.

"What are you up to dear?" came Mrs Weasley's voice, pulling me out from my thoughts.

"Oh, nothing really, I was reading over some of the information McGonagall gave us."

At least that was the plan before I zoned out.

"That's a great idea. I've been trying to get Ginny to go over the NEWT requirements for a number of careers but she just keeps telling me that you don't need NEWTS to play Quidditch. Do you think you could maybe convince her to at least have a back up plan? I think having you in her classes will probably help too."

"I don't know if I'll be going back."

The look of utter disbelief on Mrs Weasleys face was probably mirrored by my own as I was just as surprised by my own declaration as she seemed to be.

"Oh, sorry… I just… I guess we all assumed…"

"I always assumed I would to…but now I just don't know."

"Are you thinking about joining the boys in Auror training?"

"No." I said it softly and gently yet the firmness behind it wouldn't have been missed.

"What did you have in mind then?" she asked honestly caring about what I may choose to do with my life.

"I really don't know yet… can you not tell anyone? It's just… I don't know… I want to think about it a bit more."

"We never had this conversation," she said as she rose from her seat beside me, "but Hermione… if you need to talk, or just want to talk… you can come to me anytime… you know that right?"

I just nodded, my heart was in my throat and it felt like I was choking on it. The knowing look in Mrs Weasley's eyes had mine watering up, so I pushed up out if my chair and headed out into the back garden.

As I walked through the yard I thought about how everyone had been treating me since Ron and I returned from Australia. Despite returning well before expected and clearly without my parents the Weasley's had not mentioned a single word to me about it. They have not asked when they are coming home, they have not asked when I will be returning to my parents house, they have not asked if we had a good trip, they simply have acted as if Ron and I never left. I assume Ron filled them in at some point and specifically asked for them to not mention it.

Not that he was sticking to this. He wanted me to write them, go see if they have returned to my childhood home or even go back to Australia and see them again. I was not going to do any of these, it was clear how they felt and no amount of nagging on Ron's behalf was going to convince me otherwise.

"Hey, what're you doing out here?"

Speak of the devil.

"Nothing much, just thinking about stuff McGonagall said."

It wasn't really a lie, I had very briefly thought about it… before I came outside. Okay I lied.

He sat down beside me, "I'm gonna miss you." he said quietly and without making any eye contact.

"What are you talking about? Where are you going?" I was a little mortified at how easily I became distressed over this statement.

"Me? I'm not going anywhere. I'm talking about when you go back to Hogwarts." He replied as his head whipped around to face me.

As I began to calm down some, I nodded slowly thinking about what I had told Mrs Weasley only minutes ago.

"Umm, Ron, I don't know if I'm going to go back to school." I said opting to be honest with him. There was no point in avoiding the conversation.

"WHAT?" in a move that was as quick as lightning he was on his feet, his eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open wide enough to fit his fist into it.

"I don't k-know if I'm going to go back-"

"I heard what you said. Have you lost your mind?"

"Excuse me?" I said, getting to my own feet as temper began to boil beneath the surface.

"I said, have you lost your mind?"

"My mind is perfectly fine thank you. Yours I'm a little concerned about though, why the hell are you screaming at me, you just said you'd miss me, you're supposed to be glad I'm not going back."

"You're to bloody smart to NOT be going back."

"If I'm so BLOODY smart I don't need to go back, I'll get my NEWTS."

"Of course you'll get your NEWTS, you're Hermione _the smartest witch of the age_ Granger, which is exactly why I don't understand why you're not going back. You love school."

"I loved school, when that's all it was. When it was a place I could do you're homework for you and I could watch you annihilate Harry in chess. . I loved school when it was a place I could watch my two best friends play quidditch, then most likely end up in the hospital wing where I could bring you more homework that I would end up doing for you anyway."

"You don't want to go back because Harry and I wont be?" he asked with concern.

It took me a moment to realise why his face had softened and he was no longer yelling. I had tears running down my face.

"Partly. You're right I loved school but I don't think of Hogwarts as school anymore, I think of it as a place of battle, a place of terror and fear and I don't want to go back alone. Plus I'll be way older than everyone else, I was already one of the oldest in our year, add another year onto that and I'll be nearly two years older than some in my own classes. I don't belong in school anymore."

I let more tears slide down my face as that last thought occurred to me and Ron pulled me into his arms.

"I'm sorry for yelling," he mumbled into my hair, "it's just that I was shocked, and I don't want you to regret this decision. Maybe you should just think about it some more before you really decide, decide when you don't have other things on your mind."

He was talking about my parents again.

"Ron, I don't want to talk about mum and dad. And I don't want to argue about it, especially because you apologised for something already and you've never done that so quickly."

"Okay, I won't push it… right now. But I really want you to keep thinking about Hogwarts, it's a big decision not to go back."

"It wasn't a big decision for you." I mumbled back sounding like a sulky child. I didn't care.

"Of course not," he said holding me away at arms length so he could look at me. "I suck at school, as you just recently pointed out. Plus I'm not going into the Auror program straight away."

"What?" I asked seriously confused.

"Well, I still want to help George get on his feet again with the shop… if he wants to, and it'll give me the chance to save some money like I originally planned. I'll become an Auror… just not at the same time Harry does."

He didn't look sad or angry or jealous as Ron often does at the mention of Harry doing some thing first or better than him, in fact he looked happy, content… even proud.

"If that's what you want to do then I think it's a brilliant idea." I said and moved back into his arms.

When Ron said he wouldn't push the mum and dad thing for the moment, I kind of thought he meant for more than 4 hours. It was after dinner and everyone had scattered themselves around the house in small groups. Mrs Weasely was cleaning up with Mr Weasley reading the Prophet at the table, Harry and Ginny were who knows where doing who knows what, George was in his room, Percy and Charlie were playing chess and Ron and I had headed up to his room. The second we got up there he suggested that I go to my parents house in the morning to see if they have come back yet.

"I doubt they are back, Ron. They had a whole life to pack up and move across the planet."

"You never know and it'll only take a couple of minutes to apperate over there and back."

"Ron, if they were back and wanted to see me they would have contacted me. They would know where I am and know exactly how to get in contact."

"Maybe the flew powder dad gave then a couple years back got destroyed or taken when those bastards got into your house. Maybe they can't contact you even though they want to."

"Ron, the flew powder was still there when we fixed the house up. It was up in their room where it always is. They don't want to talk." And neither did I.

I lent over the bed and gave him a very suggestive kiss hoping that he would drop the conversation.

"You're trying to distract me." he mumbled against my lips.

"So?"

"I should be telling you that we have more important things to do and talk about, but you don't make it easy."

"I don't want to talk."

"I can see that." He said as I began to kiss his neck.

"Then why are you still talking?"

"Good question." He finally surrendered and took my lips with his own.

"What on Earth are you doing?" I asked Ron when I woke and found him going through his old school things.

"Nothing." He said and came and sat down on the bed with me.

I gave him a look of disbelief hoping he would understand it and fess up to what he was doing.

He didn't. "What you got planned for today?" he asked

"Umm, I'm not sure. Ginny said something about convincing your mum let us go into Ottery St Catchpole."

"Hmm, okay sounds good-"

The door burst open and in strode Ginny, "you better get your butt down there, Hermione, since mum didn't find you in our room this morning she's bout to come looking for you."

I quickly jumped out of bed and grabbed some of the spare clothes I had stashed in Ron's room.

"Where was Harry?" Ron asked as he also pulled some jeans over his boxes.

The grin that spread over Ginny's face was priceless, "he hid a broom under my bed and when we heard her coming he jumped out the window."

"Unbelievable." I muttered but with that image in my head I couldn't wipe the grin of my face before dashing out the door and heading for the bathroom.

When I went downstairs I found it empty but for Mrs Weasley and Ginny, "Where are the boys?"

"Oh they went over to see Teddy." Mrs Weasley said while loading a plate up with bacon

"Ron went too?" I asked in surprise. He isn't exactly interested in babies and even if he was he usually didn't leave without at least asking me if I wanted to go along.

"Yer, said something about how he had to see Harry taking care of a baby, I don't think he believes it's actually possible Harry does an alright job at it." Ginny explained.

I was just about to ask why Ginny didn't go because she usually does when she continued talking, "So because the boys are gone we can check out some new clothes in town without the boys nagging us."

"We can go?" I asked looking over to Mrs Weasley expecting a comment about how there is no possible way of us leaving the house without Auror protection.

"Yep." Ginny answered when her mother didn't.

I wasn't all that interested in looking at clothes when I had no money and I usually don't have much interest in aimlessly walking about a little village but the thought of finally getting out of the house was exciting. Which I now realise is terribly depressing.

"Great, I'll be right back." I said then dashed up the stairs to change into a nicer top and grab my bag and wand.

Ginny was already waiting outside by the time I got down the stairs so I hastily grabbed a piece of toast Mrs. Weasley was offering and bolted out the door.

"Mum didn't let us go without Aurors you know?" Ginny said as soon as we began our walk down the lane towards the town.

"Yeah, I noticed." I said glancing back at the two men following us in ridiculous muggle clothes.

Seriously, couldn't someone have told them that you shouldn't wear ugg boots with board shorts and that singlet's don't usually get worn with dress pants.

Grinning like a lunatic I turned back around and continued the walk with Ginny, I was just glad to be getting out of the house to do something.


End file.
